Beware the Frozen Heart
by TheOneWithTooManyInterests
Summary: Scarlette despised Kaiba. He was cold, uncaring, conceited, self-absorbed...the list could go on. But what if, through certain circumstances, gets to know the man behind the mask? Will she be able to melt his frozen heart? Seto Kaiba X OFC, rated M for Language and adult themes.
1. Chapter 1

**So first off all, YES I KNOW, I haven't updated my other story's but they all involve a lot of violence and little romance and I recently brushed off my Yugioh OC, Scarlette Hopkins and I had only drawn her before so I decided to write a story about her. So a few things first.**

 **This is an AU! Where all the characters are five years older than they are in the English version. So for example, Kaiba is eighteen in the dub (yes I use the dub and will refer as Domino as an American town rather than a Japanese town because that suits my needs xD) and will be twenty-three in this story. So that also means that the characters will be attending college instead of high school. And I decided to give some characters job and more of a background but you'll see that soon enough ;)**

 **Also, I'm taking a huge leap by beginning the story shortly after Duelist Kingdom. Now keep in my mind this story will follow the Yugioh story-line VERY loosely. So there will be a relatively large time-gap between the gang returning from Duelist Kingdom and Ishizu arriving to Domino. But there will be Marik, Rare Hunters and all that good stuff.**

 **I might upload pictures of what my OC looks like on my Tumblr to give you guys a better grasp of my view of what she looks like. That is, if you want to ^^**

…

Scarlette was never particularly fond of Seto Kaiba. They took a couple of the same classes in Domino's college and she spotted him more than she liked at the local coffee shop she worked at. He had this arrogance surrounding him, befitting him as a twenty-three years old CEO of KaibaCorp.

Still…he got on her nerves. Especially since he had been assigned to be her partner in the classes they had together and he barely showed up when she needed him to. She could understand to some degree that he was a billionaire genius that now presided over a global company and that was the reason he didn't attend class but some of the projects she just couldn't do by herself.

She had tried to talk to him about it but he had always brushed her off, leaving her frustrated and angry and on the rare occasion, close to tears. She really wanted to pass these classes and it seemed he was deliberately sabotaging her.

Sighing, she wiped her hands on her apron and looked out of the windows. A car suddenly pulled up and as she expected, Kaiba got out, dressed in one of his many trench coats. She lowered her haze when he entered, busying herself with frosting cupcakes.

One of her colleagues, a girl her age, greeted Kaiba flirtatiously when he stopped at the counter, asking him what he wanted. He, however, ignored her completely, turning to her.

'A black coffee, make it a strong one', he practically ordered.

Scarlette kept her focus on what she was doing. Unbeknownst to her, this agitated Kaiba and she could soon feel his presence across from her. She looked up.

'What?' she asked.

'I don't like waiting on my coffee, so why don't you get to it?'

She suppressed a scoff. 'I'm busy, sir. I'm sure my colleague would be more than happy to -' 'I'm not asking your colleague, I'm asking you', he immediately cut her off.

She ground her teeth together, feeling herself flush with anger under his commanding gaze. She really didn't want to; she didn't like being bossed around, especially not by him. He was an arrogant, conceited, and spoiled -

'S-sure', she interrupted her thoughts, faking a smile to get him a cup of the strongest coffee they had.

While she did, she could feel his eyes go over her. She tried to not let it bother her, which was made extremely difficult as his gaze just didn't seem to let up. Regardless, she handed him his coffee. As he took his coffee, his fingers brushed hers. She pulled back instantly, winching at the contact. He noticed easily, a hint of a smug grin on his face. He put down the money on the counter.

'Consider it a tip', he paused to find her eyes, keeping her there, in his cold gaze; 'for the record, you're too good to be working here', with that, he turned around, leaving her to slowly grasp the money on the counter.

Looking at it, she felt her heart sink into her stomach at the amount of cash he had laid down. But why? And why had he been so keen on getting coffee from her? It just made no sense at all.

…

The rest of that week had followed in a similar fashion. Every afternoon, Kaiba would show up, demanding she'd make his coffee and leaving a huge tip every time. Sometimes he brought along his brother Mokuba but he mostly came on his own.

He also made a habit of taking a seat at one particular table at the café, which somehow gave him perfect view of the counter she was busy at and she absolutely hated it. Adding to that she was forced to wear a short skirt all the time and she found herself stuck in a situation where he would blatantly stare at her and she couldn't do anything about it.

He didn't make small talk; hell, he never spoke a word to her or anyone for that matter, except when he demanded more coffee when he ran out. It was sickening; even though she didn't work for him, she still felt like she was. He was intimidating but she didn't want him to know that.

That Friday evening, he was still there at his usual seat, typing away at his laptop. She turned to her colleague.

'How about you go home? I can finish up by myself', she offered.

Her colleague hadn't disagreed. She was quick to grab her bags and bid her a goodnight before she left Scarlette by herself. Well, by herself, Kaiba was still there. She tried to ignore him; beginning to clean up the tables and sweeping the floor while she absently swayed along to the music.

'You're wasting your time here.'

She snapped out of her daydreaming, to gaze at Kaiba, whom had closed his laptop and crossed his arms to look at her. She frowned at him.

'What?' she asked.

'I said, you're wasting your time here', he put his laptop into his briefcase; 'why would you even bother working in a dump like this?'

She swallowed; not wanting to lash out at the fact he had just offended her and the café she worked at. She focused her attention on the broomstick in her hands.

'I like working here', she admitted.

'Oh please. Spare me the sentiment', he was in front of her before she knew it, easily towering over her shorter frame; 'you honestly expect me to believe you're working here because you want to? If that were the case why would you even bother taking classes at the college when you've already settled for a third-rate job?'

She only glared at him. 'What is it to you, huh? It's not of your damn business, _sir_ ', she told him off.

He scoffed, picking up his briefcase. 'I'll be back tomorrow. You'd be wise to show up', he warned her.

'I don't work Saturdays -' 'now you do. And don't try to call your boss to get her to change it', he, once again, interrupted her.

Her mouth dropped; he had gone behind her back? But why? What did he gain by making this week so damn miserable for her?!

He halted at the door. 'I have an offer for you tomorrow. So don't even think about not coming. Or you could lose your job altogether', he threatened.

By then, she was fuming. Who the hell did he think he was?!

'What makes you think I'm even remotely interested in anything you have to offer?' she growled at him.

He gave her a once over. 'Because what I can offer doesn't require you to wear such a tacky apron', he smirked at her darkening expression, before leaving her shaking in the now empty café.

She tightened her fingers around the broomstick-handle. Oh if she could she would beat the living hell out of him. He got under her skin in more way than one.

…

'He told you that? Well I guess some things never change.'

Scarlette grinned at her friend, Joey wheeler and a colleague she didn't get to see as much since he worked days she didn't.

He was arms deep into decorating a cake while she operated the coffee machines.

'I swear, I was so close to ramming the broomstick up his ass', she growled.

At that, Joey let out a loud laugh. 'Yeah, I feel ya'. Kaiba's a jerk', he smirked at her.

She playfully hit him with her elbow. 'Just get to work, Blondie', she stuck her tongue out.

'Will do, ma'am', he flirtatiously grinned back.

She shook her head laughing. Joey and she got along pretty well, considering she had never worked with him before. Then again, he and his gang of friends were a joy to be around. Téa was a sweet girl, always open to new people. Tristan was a big goofball. And Yugi…Yugi was a different story.

She was in no way related to him, yet both of them had violet colored eyes and the same blonde bangs with black and purple hair. It was freaky and she couldn't find a clear explanation for it. And she refused to believe in any sort of magic…

The store-bell clang loudly and in entered Kaiba, as presumptuous as ever, stalking straight towards her. She was given no time to speak or even think before he started barking orders at her:

'Make me my usual. Then bring it towards my table. We'll discuss things there.'

Before she could even stutter a response, Joey let out an audible scoff, causing Kaiba to turn his attention towards him.

'Treat the lady with respect, will ya'?' he spoke.

Scarlette cleared her throat almost fearfully

'Why don't you stay out of this, Wheeler? This doesn't concern you', Kaiba scowled at him.

'If it concerns one of my best friends, it does, rich boy. Now take a seat', she was stunned by Joey's restraint. Usually he would jump at the opportunity to charge at Kaiba but he seemed so reserved now. She guessed that as long as Joey was working, he was forced to restrain himself. Lashing out would look bad on his résumé.

Somehow, Joe mentioning the words _my_ and _friend_ caused Kaiba to narrow his blue eyes. It left her confused. Why was that?

Displeased, Kaiba stalked away towards his usual seat in the back of the café, keeping a close watch on both of them. Scarlette blew out some air.

'Thanks, Joey', she smiled at him.

'Don't mention it', he winked at her.

She breathed out a sigh of relief, preparing Kaiba's coffee. Once ready, she hesitantly went towards his table to place his cup on the table.

'Sit.'

She glared at him. _Jackass._

She sat down, shifting uncomfortably and placing her hands in her lap. 'What do you want?' she asked.

He opened his briefcase and pulled out a stack of papers. She took them from him hesitantly, watching him rest his elbows on the table and fold his fingers together.

He looked over the papers, soon realizing it was a contract. Not _just_ a contract, but a contract for a job at KaibaCorp.

'I'll cut right to it. I want you to work for me', he stated.

She flipped through the contract. 'I figured as much. But why?' she wondered.

'Because your paycheck is laughable. And you're overqualified to be working here', he stated.

 _Was that meant as a compliment? No, It probably wasn't_ , she reminded herself.

'Well I'm not agreeing to this. I don't want to work for you', she wanted to hand him back the papers but he didn't let her.

His blue eyes narrowed, impatiently. 'I'd prefer it if you didn't waste my time', he told her.

She rolled her eyes. 'Well you're the one that wanted to meet up', she muttered.

'I know you're struggling with paying of your debts.'

Her eyes widened at his words. She tightened her jaw. 'How do you know -' 'it doesn't matter. If you started working for me, your debt would be paid off in a matter of months. And that's not including the possible extras', at that, she swallowed.

'Extras?' she wondered.

'In addition to being my assistant, you'd be paid extra for accompanying me to social events and business trips as my date', he suggested.

She bit harshly on her bottom lip. She was to be his date? But why? Why would he want her? She was a wallflower, timid. There were countless women more fit to pose as his date. None of her clothes would even begin to help her fit in.

'But I don't have clothes classy enough -' 'I'd be in control of what you wore regardless', he waved her off.

She scoffed. Of course. Money wasn't an issue for him, it never had been. She had been a fool to think she could come up with an argument that he couldn't shut down. Not just that, the fact he knew about her debts unnerved her. He must've looked into her files at the college; there was no other explanation. But why? Why was he so keen on having her work for him?

Unwillingly, she pulled the contract towards her. 'I'll think about it', she muttered.

'You'd best make it quick. Many people would die for the job I'm offering you.'

 _Kaiba, always the charmer_ , she thought to herself.

' _If_ I started working for you…when would I start?' she asked carefully.

'Right away of course. And you'd have to quit the college', her mouth went dry.

'But I can't afford to quit -' 'if you started working for me, I'd be able to take care of your debts for not getting the degree you wanted. But you should know that once you've worked at KaibaCorp, there won't be a company in the world that wouldn't hire you', Kaiba answered.

She chewed on her bottom lip anxiously. It sounded like a solid deal; there were little negatives, except her boss being Kaiba. Then again, she had had bosses she absolutely loathed before. And she had survived them.

She rested her forehead against the heel of her palm, unable to believe herself for making this decision. 'Okay', she answered.

'Okay?' Kaiba repeated.

She raised her violet eyes to him. 'Okay, I'll do it', she said.

For a moment, she thought she saw Kaiba smirk. That lasted for a few seconds before he stood up.

'Good. I'll pick you up for dinner tonight around 7. We'll go over the details of your contract then', he brushed past her and she stood up motionlessly. Why did she feel like she had just signed her soul away?

…

 **So yeah that's the first chapter. Let me know if I should continue it (I probably will, regardless) and don't hesitate to tell me what you think. I want to improve on this story as much as I can!**

 **Lots of Love,**

 **~TheOneWithTooManyInterests**


	2. Chapter 2

**And we're onto the date-but-not-really-a-date ha ha. Also you might want to take the technology babble with a grain of salt. I know it makes zero sense but just go with it xD**

…

She had spent a ridiculous amount of time to get ready for that evening. She wore a light blue, knee-length dress with a sweetheart neckline, a keyhole back and a full skirt. She had put her hair in a French braid and opted for a light pink lipstick and some mascara.

She was busy putting on her white pumps when her father came into the living-room. Her heart sank into her stomach at the sight of him; paralyzed from the waist down and in a wheelchair. She felt so guilty being able to walk. It should've been her in the wheelchair, not him.

'You look beautiful, Scarlette. Kaiba's a lucky man', he slightly joked.

She shivered. 'It's just for work, dad. He's offering me a job', she corrected him.

'Either way, you look stunning', her father smiled at her.

She returned the smile, getting up when the doorbell of their small apartment rang. She hesitantly opened the door. Kaiba stood there, semi-formal with his deep blue blouse and black dress-pants. He easily forced himself into the apartment, halting when he saw her father.

She folded her arms across her chest, biting her bottom lip and discomfort swelling in her gut. She watched Kaiba extend his hand to her father.

'Be good to my girl, Mr. Kaiba. She's all I have left', Kaiba only replied with a nod and was quick to pull her along with him.

Once outside, he brought her to his limo, and surprisingly, held open the car door for her so she could get in. He followed soon after and the car started.

Scarlette sighed deeply, putting her hand to her forehead. 'You weren't supposed to see that', she mumbled.

His facial expression remained neutral, bordering on disinterested. She just rested her head back; she wasn't about to tell him all about the car accident. He had no right to know. He could probably care less anyways.

Their ride towards the restaurant was spent in silence. Scarlette felt no need to tell him how her father had gotten into the wheelchair and Kaiba obviously felt like he didn't need to ask. Good for him, she wouldn't have told him. She didn't want him to take pity on her. Not that she expected him to; Seto Kaiba was known to be void of any positive emotion.

'You look lovely.'

She raised her eyebrow at him. Had he just told her that? Well he was being awfully generous. It seemed so unlike him to compliment another human being.

'T-thanks', she responded.

He gave another curt nod and the car came to a halt. Just before she could reach for the door-handle, he grabbed her wrist, surprising her by how close he suddenly was. She stared up to him; he was very handsome, she'd give him that. He was tall, broadly built and had these stunning blue eyes. She could see why women fell at his feet.

'There's bound to be paparazzi lurking out there. So you'd do your best to cover your face if you don't want to be front page news', he warned her.

She nodded. 'Anything else?' she asked.

His eyes dropped towards the neckline of her dress for only a moment, then shook his head. He got out of the car and he had apparently walked around the car to open her door. She got out, gasping in surprise when his strong arm snuck around her waist to keep her close.

Luckily, there were no photographers around, so they could enter the restaurant without any fuss. Kaiba continued his gentleman-like behavior, pulling out her chair and picking out the wine for the evening. It was very unlike him, she thought. He had never displayed nice behavior, either in the college or when they went to high school together.

'So I guess I should ask what exactly the job you're offering me entails?' she wondered.

He set his elbows down on the table, folding his fingers together and leaning forward.

'Being my assistant is pretty straightforward. You'll be in charge of my agenda, putting through calls, sorting paperwork and so on', she sipped her wine, thoughtfully; 'though it states in your contract that as long as you accompany me to social events, you'll be prohibited from going out with other men.'

His words left a bad taste in her mouth. She set her glass down, crossing her arms. 'And why is that?' she asked.

She thought she saw a smirk tug at his lips. _Smug bastard_ , she internally growled.

'It's simple; if you pose as my date, and you're seen with other men, it would reflect very badly on the both of us. And having a woman at my arm would be very beneficial for me as it would put a stop to the countless proposals I get sent', he went on.

She blew out some air. So basically he wanted her to pose as his girlfriend. Great. That meant she was going to have to look all lovey dovey with him in public. She detested the idea. Not to mention she was completely stripped of having a dating life.

'What if I fell in love with someone?' she posed.

He brought his wine-glass up to his lips, scoffing. 'I highly doubt that'll happen though. Given the fact you're known to be a rather picky woman.'

She bit on her tongue, refusing to lash out at his offensive comment. She wouldn't allow him to get under her skin like this. He didn't know her.

'Guess that makes two of us. You're never seen with a woman', she muttered.

'The reason being is that I have high standards', he paused and his eyes, once again, dropped to the neckline of her dress. She shuddered. She wasn't used to Kaiba looking at her like this, or any woman for that matter. She didn't know whether she liked it or not.

She silently thanked the waiter when their food arrived, breaking off the awkward silence.

'Then why did you pick me? As far as I know, you despise my friends, you think I work at a third-rate café and yet you go out of your way to get me to work for you?' she asked him.

He let out a chuckle, his gaze crossing hers. 'You're intelligent, you're higher class than most women who throw themselves at me and you speak your mind. Not a lot of people can do that without getting on my nerves', he answered her.

She sighed. She felt like he had given her half an answer but for now that was good enough. She just had to be grateful he even gave her a response at all.

'Anything else I should know?' she asked him.

'No. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it once you start this Monday -' 'hold up! Monday?!' she cut him off, much to his irritation; 'I haven't even filed out my resignation yet!'

'You don't have to. I already informed your boss that you were looking for a better job', she could only glare at him.

He seemed to have this planned out way before he had even asked her to work for him. She should've known he was a manipulative, sneaky bastard -

'How did your father end up in a wheelchair?'

His question immediately struck a sore spot. She shifted, keeping her eyes on her plate.

'It's none of your business', she muttered.

Her response didn't faze him. He stayed with the subject. 'I think I'll decide that. You're going to be my employee soon. I'll need to know a few things about you', was his sharp response.

She still didn't look at him. 'That doesn't include my personal life. You have nothing to gain from knowing how my dad got stuck in that damned wheelchair', she almost growled.

He chuckled. 'And that, my dear, is where you're wrong. You see, if you're going to be posing as my date, there will be occasions where your father would join us on dinner. So you can either spit it out now or leave it up to the press to find out.'

She was dumbfounded. Just when she thought she had some sort of control over the situation, he'd turn the tables on her. He simply refused to let her have any dominance in their conversation.

Whimpering under her breath, she hesitantly turned to look at him, fighting the rising swell in her throat.

'We were in a car accident. Some drunk driver rammed our car. My mom was dead on impact, my dad got paralyzed. I was lucky to get away with just a scar on my stomach', tears threatened to spill from her eyes but she kept them at bay; 'the doctors tried everything to get my dad his legs back, but they couldn't. That's why we're in dept. My dad couldn't hold a job anymore so he couldn't pay the hospital bills', she spat out.

It seemed she had made quite an impression on him; Kaiba was left silent, staring at her with semi-widened eyes. He took a large gulp from his wine, clearing his throat.

She followed his example, emptying her glass almost instantly. She wanted to reach for the bottle but he gripped her by her wrist before she could.

'Let go', she muttered.

'You want him to walk again?' he inquired.

She didn't answer; of course she did but that wasn't possible. And why did Kaiba care?

'A team of my robotics engineers have recently started on a project that revolves around nanobots to act as synthetic nerves', she frowned at him; 'they're testing it on paralyzed animals first. But if it turns out to be a success the same techniques could be applied to humans', he explained.

'I don't understand -' 'if the project is a success, I'll make sure that your father is our top priority', he interjected.

Her face fell. Was Kaiba being serious? Why was he so generous all of a sudden? Or was there a catch he was about to get to?

'I'm guessing you want something in return?' she asked.

He released her wrist. 'There's a charity ball I'm forced to attend in a few weeks. You're going to be there', he instructed; 'your clothing, jewelry and such will be taken care of.'

She nodded her head yes. 'Fair enough', she agreed.

…

After dinner, Kaiba had brought her home. She got out of the car, expecting to walk up the porch by herself but soon found out Kaiba had gotten out of the car too. She glowered at him.

'You don't need to walk me to the door', she huffed.

He did so regardless. Sighing, she pulled the keys out of her purse to open the door. All the while, she never got rid of the nerves swirling in her gut. Why was this feeling like a date all of a sudden? It wasn't a date. And even if it was, she wouldn't go out with someone like Kaiba.

She pulled open the door just a bit but Kaiba easily shut it, his hand now on the door close to her head. Startled, she turned around, finding him closer to her than she preferred. Even with her heels, she only reached up to his broad shoulders.

She gazed up to him, feeling her heartbeat fasten at his closeness. She didn't like the fact he was invading her personal space like this. She couldn't think clearly!

He obviously ignored that fact, for he moved even closer. She put her hands against his chest to push him, and cursed inwardly at allowing herself to feel the strong pectoral muscles beneath his shirt. Where the hell did he even find the time to work out while he ran a company?!

'Read the contract thoroughly. I'll have my driver pick you up this Monday', he murmured.

'A-anything else?' she barely managed to keep her voice from going into a timid squeak and he easily noticed. He smirked in response.

'From now on, this dress is for my eyes only', he told her.

She gulped, feeling her cheeks grow warm and not sure what to think of his comment. It sounded weird, almost creepy like possessive compliment but she didn't want to linger on it.

He pushed away, leaving her able to breathe again. 'Good night', he bid her a quiet goodbye before he got into his limo and drove off.

Trembling now, Scarlette turned around, heading inside as quickly as she could. She went to her parents' bedroom, finding her father asleep. She smiled, leaning over to softly kiss his forehead. It caused him to wake up, and he gazed at her tiredly.

'How was your date?' he asked with a suggestive wink.

She sat down at his bedside. 'It wasn't a date', she paused; 'dad…Kaiba offered to get your legs fixed', she began.

He sat up, frowning, but allowing her to speak. 'He's developing this technique that might be able to help you walk again', she went on.

'Well that was generous of him. He's putting a lot of money in you, sweetheart. First he offered to pay off your student loans and now this…I'd say he has his eye on you', her father commented.

She waved him off. 'Nonsense. Kaiba doesn't do romantic feelings, dad', she argued.

'Still…it's out of character for him. Don't allow him to pressure you into things you don't want to', he said firmly.

She offered a timid smile. _Typical dad, always so worried_ , she thought. She'd be fine. She wouldn't let Kaiba take advantage of her. Because she somehow knew he wouldn't do that. Kaiba was many things: egotistic, self-absorbed, arrogant, conceited, but he wasn't a man to take advantage of a woman.

Still…her dad had a point. What motive did Kaiba have for helping her out? What did he get out of it? She guessed she just had to sleep on it.

…

 **So Scarlette is going to work for Kaiba? She just made a deal with the devil :o**

 **Please rate and review and don't be afraid to be a little critical ;)**

 **Lots of Love,**

 **~TheOneWithTooManyInterests**


	3. Chapter 3

That Monday morning, Scarlette had gotten up early and dressed herself in one of the many clothes that had arrived the day before. She had noticed most of the clothes were in a shade blue, which figured since Kaiba had this obsession with the Blue Eyes White Dragon. Regardless, she dressed herself in a pair of dark jeans and a blue blouse. She put her hair in a low braid, chewing on her bottom lip. She just hoped the first day on her job wasn't going to be too awful.

After a quick breakfast and bidding her father goodbye, she hopped into the car that was standing in front of her house. The drive towards KaibaCorp. took shorter than she expected. She was there before she knew it and she was immediately sent up to the top floor. After a long elevator ride, she found herself in front of Kaiba's secretary, whom somehow seemed to know she was coming and let her into Kaiba's office almost instantly.

Right now, she found herself signing the contract he had given her. As he checked through it, she felt uneasy. But she reminded herself she was doing this for a good cause; so her father wouldn't have to worry over the debts and that he might be able to walk again.

She watched Kaiba put down his signature. She breathed in deeply. It was official now; she was Kaiba's assistant and _girlfriend_ , at least to the public eye anyway. She didn't plan on upholding charades when there weren't any cameras around.

She blew out a puff of air, turning her attention to her _boss_ when he handed her a key-card, completely with a picture of her, her name and the KaibaCorp. logo on it.

'Keep a close hold onto this. Security is tight around here. So if you lose it, it won't be my problem if you're late to work', he instructed.

'Fair enough', she responded.

Both looked up, when the door opened and Kaiba's younger brother ran in. The boy had almost gotten as tall as Kaiba but was in dire need of a haircut. He looked at her, then back to his brother, a grin spreading over his face.

'Is this the new assistant? You didn't tell me she'd be this pretty, Seto', the younger Kaiba grinned.

'I didn't ask for you so you could make eyes at my assistant, Mokuba. Show her around', Kaiba asked him.

Scarlette took notice how his voice took on a more gentle tone when Kaiba spoke to his brother. So he did have a softer side?

Sighing, she took Mokuba's outstretched hand, allowing him to pull her along with him.

…

Thanks to Mokuba, Scarlette got settled in pretty quickly. In fact, her job wasn't as intense as she suspected it to be. She had a desk in Kaiba's office, but she seemed to be in and out of his office the entire time, meeting with heads of different departments and bringing their reports back to Kaiba. He'd ask her to copy them into the computer installed at her desk.

On some days, Mokuba would be around the office. Those were the better days and she happened to notice how Kaiba's mood lightened up in the presence of his younger brother. She thanked Mokuba for that. The kid (or rather, teenager) was always in a good mood and she fully enjoyed the days she was told to 'entertain him'. They'd be off to the game-developers, testing out new games. She liked those days.

On the days he wasn't around in the office, Kaiba could be a downright asshole. It wasn't exactly a shocker; she had dealt with him in high school and a brief time at the college but somehow working _beneath_ him made him more intimidating.

She typed away at the computer on her desk, gritting her teeth. Copying reports onto a computer screen was a complete bore and she wondered if she was going to get cramps in her hands from doing it all day.

'Get me a coffee.'

She looked up from her screen, finding Kaiba back in his office, behind his laptop. She gave a nod in response and got out of her seat to head across the hallway. She had figured out the expensive looking coffee machine in no-time, and set it so it would pour her a very strong espresso.

As she did, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She took the call with a groan.

'Scarlette -' _'Why didn't ya' tell me you were gonna' work for Kaiba?!'_

She held the phone away from her ear, a mug in her other hand. 'Don't call me during working hours, will you?' she asked from him as she wandered back into the office to give Kaiba his coffee.

The latter looked at her with suspicion. 'No personal calls, Scarlette', he told her.

She nodded; trying to ignore Joey's ranting voice blowing through her phone. For someone whom had stood up to Kaiba in such a classy way before, he was absolutely going mental through the phone.

'I have to hang, Joey', she noticed how Kaiba's hand twitched at mentioning his name; 'don't give me that!' she snapped at him and hung up instantly.

Kaiba shook his head disapprovingly. 'That Wheeler. He should know by now that you're out of his league.'

She took a seat at her desk, scoffing. 'Oh am I?' she wondered.

'Yes, you are', and with that, he was silent, furiously typing away at his laptop without another explanation for his statement.

She huffed, taking off her stiletto heels and moving back to the irritable task of copying reports. Well at least it kept her busy…

'I like the blue color though', she blurted it out as a desperate attempt to keep some sort of conversation.

'Good.'

She rolled her eyes. What was it with him and his one word answers?! It was so infuriating!

Hours seemed to tick by and nothing but the sound of keyboard keys being hit was heard. In the back of her consciousness, Scarlette watched Kaiba exit the office. She didn't hear him come back so when a new report was dropped onto her desk she was relatively startled.

'Don't copy this one. Just read through it', he said.

She paused on her computer, taking the stack of paper he had left her. As she began to read, she found it was the program Kaiba had spoken of. She read about nanobots, so small that they'd be injected into the damaged body and attached themselves to malfunctioning nerves. According to this report, the small nanobots would be able to take over the nerves, sending the brain-impulses to the next one so that the impulses would be relayed and movement would be possible again.

'Have they tested this yet?' she asked.

'The first test will be next week. They'll need to make multiple tests to see if it truly works', he obviously tried to keep her from getting too excited; the tests would take a while and she was fully prepared for that. But just the slim chance that it could work gave her hope.

She sipped her water. 'This is amazing', she paused; 'though I thought your company only dealt with gaming electronics?' she wondered.

He offered a slight grin. 'We've only recently started with this program', he admitted.

She made no comment after that. She looked through the document, spotting the date on it. That left her frowning. According to this report, this project had only kicked of about two weeks ago. And already were they ready for a test next week? They surely didn't mess around.

'I've also sent you an email containing pictures of what you'll be wearing at the charity ball.'

 _Oh right, the charity event_ , she reminded herself. She wanted to ask how Kaiba had gotten her email address but found it wise not to bother.

She opened the file, finding a blue gown staring back at her. It had a tight, strapless bodice, with a full, sparkling skirt that reached down to the ground. She pouted.

'Is it really a gala? I won't be able to do anything in that dress', she groaned.

'That's the point. You're just there to smile and look pretty. Now get back to work', was his quick answer.

'Yes, sir', she muttered.

She could feel his eyes on her, but didn't let it distract her. She didn't want to get fired. She needed the money. And she was willing to prance around in a gown if it got her that. At least he wasn't forcing her to do anything illegal.

…

'So, what's Kaiba like as a boss?'

Scarlette had to chuckle at Téa's question. She sipped her milkshake, twiddling the straw between her fingers.

'All and all, he's not that big of a jerk. But maybe he had a change of heart after Duelist Kingdom, you know?' she shrugged.

Yugi beside Téa had to smile. 'Well that's good. After what Joey told us we were worried for you', he admitted.

'You really shouldn't. I have a tough skin. I can handle Kaiba', Scarlette grinned back.

She sat back, her mind travelling back to her first few weeks at her new job. It had been tough at first, she wouldn't deny that. Kaiba was strict and didn't have a whole lot of patience. She had screwed up once and he had completely cussed her out. She had been close to crying, but had pushed through, keeping her dad's happiness in her mind.

It was all that kept her going. Even if the high heels and pencil skirts were a pain in the ass, she pushed through. She had a goal and wasn't about to back down.

She rested her head in her hands. 'Is Joey still mad?' she wondered.

Téa held up her shoulders. 'Not mad, per se, but you know Joey', she carefully said.

Scarlette nodded in understanding, sipping her drink. 'Still mad, then', she concluded.

'Hey, he'll calm down eventually. It's probably his rivalry with Kaiba that makes him all riled up!' Yugi interjected.

'Don't worry about it, okay? It's fine -' she laid a hand atop of Yugi's, but that somehow triggered her into seeing a brief image of her alongside Yugi, both of them wearing Egyptian clothing. She immediately pulled back, feeling freaked out.

'What the hell was that?' she grew panicked; why had she seen an image like that?!

'What was what?' Téa asked; 'are you okay?' she looked to Yugi, whom seemed just as spooked as she was; 'Yugi?'

In a flash, Yugi had gotten taller, and his eyes held a more serious look to them, resembling her even more than he already did. And it completely freaked her out.

'An image of the past', his voice had become deeper as well.

Scarlette scoffed. 'Don't give me that!' she snapped.

'It's true. And part of you knows it to be so. How else do you explain that Yugi and you have the same birthday and look strangely alike?'

She shot up, receiving a worried look from Téa. 'I don't believe in this nonsense', she took her bag; 'I really don't get why you guys do', she said.

'Scarlette -' 'I have to go', she cut both of them off.

With a shrug, she left them in the mall, her thoughts murky and her shoulders shaking. She tried to shake of the image; her clinging to Yugi's arm, laughing, with a huge castle behind them.

She growled to herself. She wasn't going to let this mess with her head; she refused to.

…

 **Yugi and Scarlette have a history together? Le Gasp. And yeah I know it's so redundant that I'd make her look like Yugi and gave them this not-so-obvious-but very-obvious past but I like it anyways xD**

 **Anyway, please rate and review. It lets me know you guys care ^^**

 **Lots of Love,**

 **~TheOneWithTooManyInterests**


	4. Chapter 4

**So there's a bit of a time skip happening here. I thought it fit in with the theme of Yugioh, since they often seem to have time skips. So don't hate please, I'm trying! xD**

…

Scarlette had clocked out early that Friday evening of the gala, wanting to head home to get ready until Kaiba picked her up.

The dress had arrived the Wednesday before, along with matching, open-toe pumps and a full set of jewelry that made her mouth drop in awe. The jewelry was all white gold, imbedded with deep blue gems and the neckline was in the shape of a dragon.

She had to roll her eyes at the dragon part. Of course he had. She put all of it on anyway, not wanting to waste time giggling over the fact Seto Kaiba had such an unhealthy obsession with a trading card.

She brushed her hands through her curled hair, satisfied with the image looking back at her through the mirror. She had opted for neutral eyeshadow and a light pink lipstick. Her hair was pinned to one side, allowing it to cascade over one shoulder.

Picking up her full skirt, she hurried into the living-room. Already, she hated walking in this dress.

'He'd better pay me good money for this', she grumbled to herself.

'Is it that uncomfortable, then? It doesn't look like it.'

She flushed with anger at Kaiba's voice. Raising her head, she found him sitting in her living-room, alongside her father. She growled under her breath. She hated to admit it but he looked incredibly handsome in his tuxedo. The hint of blue from his tie gave just the right touch.

He stood up, crossing the room and extending an arm to her. She took it begrudgingly.

'Don't wait up for me, dad', she smiled at him.

He father returned the smile. She was quick to follow Kaiba out of the door and into the limo. She felt her nerves pick up as the car started. Surely there was going to be a lot of paparazzi around an event like they were going to. And given the fact that Kaiba was rarely was seen with a woman, the press would be swarming to get a picture of his 'mystery girl'.

'Aren't you worried about the press?' she asked.

He gave her a quick glance. 'I've gotten used to it', he answered.

She nodded in response; her nerves fluttering in her stomach. He seemed to notice her unease, cleared his throat then moved slightly towards her.

'Just keep close to me, okay? You'll be fine', he tried to assure her.

She appreciated the effort, though she still felt very nervous. That feeling didn't let up when the limo stopped and the driver opened the door. Already could she see millions of flashing cameras.

Kaiba got out first, holding out his hand, which she took gratefully as getting around in the dress was quite difficult. Once out of the car, she put up a hand to shield her eyes. Feeling Kaiba's firm arm around her waist, she walked along with him, ignoring the press call out things to the pair of them.

'Mr. Kaiba! Who's the girl?!'

'Are you finally off the market?!'

'What will your adoring fans say about this?!'

'Miss, look this way!'

'Can we get a kiss from the new couple?!'

She kept close to Kaiba, feeling overwhelmed by all the flashing lights. He somehow seemed to notice, pulling her even closer to him with a slight smirk on his face. She briefly glared at him but was grateful when he ushered her inside.

She breathed out deeply. 'Vultures', she growled.

Kaiba took two glasses from a passing waiter, handing her one. 'Relax', he muttered.

She sipped from the glass, finding it was champagne. 'If the entire evening is like this I might need a lot more of these', she mumbled.

She felt Kaiba's hand move from her waist to her back, in a somewhat gentle manner. She didn't bother with it; they were in public, she had to act like they were together. She could already imagine Joey and the gang's reaction towards the pictures that would _surely_ be in tomorrow's newspaper; _Domino's most eligible bachelor finally off the market?_

She could scowl at the idea. _It's for a good cause,_ she reminded herself.

'Kaiba! My my, I never thought I would see you with a lady on your arm!'

She searched for the source of the voice, spotting an elderly man coming towards them. Kaiba lowly told her not to tell anything about herself, as doing so could result in the media twisting her words to a tasty story. She just put on her brightest smile, allowing the man to softly kiss the back of her hand.

'A pleasure to meet you, Miss. My name is Richard Keating from Keating Economics', she felt a nasty chill down her spine at the man's wandering eyes.

'Stop scaring her, will you? It's her first time going public with me', Kaiba firmly told him.

Keating only laughed, much to both their chagrin. It was obvious to Scarlette that Kaiba detested the man.

'Ah I see. A shy bird then. I have to wonder why, Seto, she's a beauty', once again, the older man's eyes went over her so slowly it almost made her squirm. Almost.

Kaiba stepped closer to him. 'How about you keep your eyes in your skull. We all know you like to flaunt about with girls that are young enough to be your granddaughter but she's _mine_ ', he declared lowly to the man.

Keating swallowed. 'That never went public -' 'it could, if you don't stop making eyes at my girl. Now get lost, Keating. I'm not doing business with a company like yours', Kaiba threatened him.

At that, Keating had quickly scattered off. Scarlette looked to the blue-eyed man beside her, confusion finding her. He had seemed so possessive all of a sudden. He was doing really well at selling this act. He had so blatantly threatened to spill another man's private life, just because they had looked at her in a wrong way…

'What was that about?' she wondered out loud.

'Keating's a creep. He comes to events like this to find a new girl who is dumb enough to let herself fall for his wallet. It wouldn't help his company if that got out', Kaiba explained.

She fought her grin. 'I had no idea you'd threaten to talk to the press for the sake of your _girlfriend_ ', she playfully told him.

'It has to be believable, right? If I didn't defend your honor, word would get out I didn't care about you', he shrugged it off.

She smiled. He had said that, but she was grateful nonetheless. If she had lashed out at Keating, surely the press would've known.

'Come on, the banquet will probably be starting soon', she followed suit, tightening her fingers into his arm. She just hoped she'd be able to keep herself calm. A world like this was so foreign to her…

…

'So you're Kaiba's girl, huh? I'm curious to how long he will keep you around', Scarlette frowned at the preppy blonde next to her; 'he gets bored with his toys really quickly', she went on.

Scarlette rolled her eyes. She didn't like Kaiba, but she didn't have to take insults from this girl. 'Well maybe he doesn't need a toy that does everything he says', she bit back.

The blonde looked at her shocked, her mouth agape. Scarlette smirked internally. _That'll shut you up, won't it?_ She thought.

A rough hand grasped hers from under the table, causing her to turn her head to meet Kaiba's steel blue eyes and a smug smirk. He leaned in close. She could smell his cologne and it left her slightly dizzy. Why did he smell so good?

'So I don't need a toy, huh?' he murmured.

She shivered, his deep voice causing chills she didn't want to receive from him. She absolutely loathed herself for it. She didn't want to get chills from him. He was her boss, and even though she pretended to be his girlfriend, she wouldn't give him the pleasure of letting him sense some part of her enjoyed his physical appearance.

'Well I think you'd get bored with a woman that obeys your every whim', she whispered back.

'True', he admitted with a grin.

She picked up her glass of wine, swirling it in her glass before sipping it and listened to a conversation across the table.

'So the museum is having a new Egyptian exhibit?' an elder woman asked.

'Yes. In a few months time they'll bring these tablets in that are sure to attract the public', the man next to her responded.

'Well I hope so. The Domino museum needs it', the woman responded.

She took another sip of wine, resting her hand in her palm. She had always held a fascination for ancient Egypt. Yet that had started to decline after all that had happened in Duelist Kingdom just a few months back. A lot of unexplainable shit had happened and she couldn't stand not being able to have a clear solution for it. She already had trouble believing she was _somehow_ related to Yugi, despite not having the same parents.

Lost in her thoughts, it slipped past her that dinner was over. She became aware of that when Kaiba rudely pulled her up, his hand on the small of her back pushing her directly into his broad chest. She glared up to him.

'Dance with me', he muttered.

'I don't dance', she huffed.

He only grinned. 'Well now you do. You're not going to be a wallflower tonight', he declared.

'I didn't know you cared', she pouted at him.

'I don't want people to look down on you. You're with me; all they should eye you with is jealousy.'

 _Right. That's because I'm with you, isn't it? Self-centered jerk_. She brushed her thoughts off her, allowing Kaiba to pull her along to the ballroom. Her mouth dropped then; it had a very high ceiling with crystal chandeliers. Had Domino always had a ballroom like this?

Once on the dance-floor, Kaiba took one of her hands in his, placing it onto his shoulder. Her other hand found his, whilst his free hand remained on her lower back.

'Just follow my lead. And try not to screw up', he quite rudely instructed.

Giving him an eye-roll, she let him lead her as they began to dance. She tried to look anywhere but him, which he grew displeased with very quickly. He easily shoved her more towards him, nearly causing her to stumble.

'It's rude not to look at the person you're dancing with', was his response.

Gritting her teeth together, she tilted her head upward, giving him a defiant look. He only chuckled, lowering his head towards her.

'Good girl.'

She tensed at his sickening tone. Hadn't he been her boss, she would've slapped him so hard that it left his head ringing. Who did he think he was to call her that?!

…

 **See what I did there with slipping in the Egyptian exhibit? I hope you did! He he he he.**

 **Anyway, please rate and review. It lets me know you guys care ^^**

 **Lots of Love,**

 **~TheOneWithTooManyInterests**


	5. Chapter 5

**Did anyone see screenshots of Yugioh: Dark Side of Dimensions? That animation is superb! Also Kaiba is ripped AF XD Anyways maybe a late note but I prefer to imagine the characters as they do in that style of animation. Mostly because they animated Kaiba to be so much more handsome than he is in DM. But that aside xD let's duel!**

 **Also; I put a few pictures on my deviantART of my OC, if you're interested:**

…

After a few dances, Scarlette could feel her feet beginning to ache. And the heels really didn't help either. She pleaded with Kaiba to give her a break and he reluctantly did. He led her upstairs, to one of the private areas.

Those, like the ballroom, were stunning. The whole building held a Victorian era vibe to it, which she liked a lot.

She sat herself down on one of the plush sofas, breathing out a huff of air. She lifted up her skirt, kicking off her shoes. Already, were her feet turning red and swollen. She looked up to Kaiba.

'You owe me for this', she grumbled.

'You're getting paid for this. I don't owe you anything', he shoved his hands into his pant pockets; 'and you always struck me as a girl that liked high heels', he shrugged.

She carefully rubbed her toes, ignoring his words and thinking back to the exhibit that would come to the museum in a few months.

'That old woman across that sat across from me at the table…she spoke of an Egyptian exhibit that's coming to Domino', she mused.

'Your point being?' she glared at Kaiba, whom obviously could care less. With a sigh, she stood up, rocking on her bare feet.

'Well it seems interesting -' he cut her off by grabbing her and forcing her into one of the stone columns that held the ceiling up.

'What the hell -' 'there's a photographer right around the corner', he told her.

'So?' she hissed back.

He briefly gazed over his shoulder, before turning his blue eyes onto her.

'Well some people might argue we're not serious, that we'll break up within a few months -' 'since when do you care what people think?' she interrupted him.

He shot her a look that made her shut up instantly.

'I don't, but you want to sell this don't you?'

If she was being honest, she could care less. She only acted like his girlfriend because her contract stated so. There was nothing she could possibly gain from this, other than paying off her debts.

'You're the one that wants the world to know you're no longer available to other women, sir', she argued.

'Exactly. So why shouldn't we give those vultures something to talk about this weekend?' he asked.

She growled; well she wouldn't be able to go out in public in a normal fashion anymore so what was the big deal?

She met his eyes. 'What do you have in mind?'

She shouldn't have asked that. He had grabbed her by her shoulders and his lips had come crashing down on hers without another warning. His kiss was hard and demanding, much like he was. Her violet eyes went wide; a hot flush moved over her face and for a moment, she put her hands against his firm chest, pushing against him.

He drew one hand into her hair, his kiss slowly softening while he drew strokes on the back of her head. What possessed her to give in, she didn't know. She just let her eyes fall closed, sneaking her arms around her neck to kiss him back.

In the back of her mind, she could hear the sounds of camera's clicking but she couldn't focus on that. She absolutely hated Kaiba for making her so weak in her knees but she was shocked by the tenderness and care he showed; she had never known he was capable of that. And part of it felt familiar. Like she had been in this position before…but that wasn't possible…

He parted her lips with his tongue and she gasped against him, much to his amusement. A soft chuckle rumbled through his chest, while she pushed her hands through his brown hair.

By the time they parted, the photographer was gone. Scarlette let her arms drop from his body, shivering as the whole situation came crashing down on her. Seto Kaiba, her _boss_ , had kissed her and she had kissed him back. For a moment, she felt utterly violated. Not only was this beyond inappropriate and confusing, but her face would be all over the news the coming days.

'Don't tell me that'll become a routine of sorts', she growled.

She pushed past him, taking her seat on the couch to put her shoes back on. He only smirked.

'You didn't seem to mind.'

 _Oh no he didn't! He doesn't get to pull shit like this and walk away smirking like the fucking Cheshire cat! My life will be over from now on!_

She ran a hand over face. He took a seat beside her, not once allowing her to move away from him. She tried not to let it get to her but only now was it starting to sink in how little of a public life she was going to have from now on.

His fingers grasped her chin, turning her head to where he could look at her. She stared at him, fighting her tears as a terrifying thought overcame her. Had he set her up?

'Did you want my face to be all over the news?' she asked.

'I didn't hire that photographer to take pictures of us, if that's what you mean. But the press would've found out sooner or later. The best thing is to just get it out to the public as quickly as possible. We'll worry about the damage control tomorrow', he explained.

She looked away from him, biting her bottom lip harshly. All the while, a single tear ran down her cheek. He easily caught it with the pad of his thumb, wiping it away. She only shot him a foul like.

'I hate you', she muttered.

'Yeah, I've heard that before. It doesn't affect me anymore', he argued.

That left her frowning. 'Not anymore? What are you -' 'come on', he stood up, effectively cutting off her question as it was obvious he was not having this conversation with her.

She took his extended hand, allowing him to pull her up.

'For the record, you're quite a good kisser', he smirked at her.

'Screw you, Kaiba', she growled at him.

He just grinned at her, hoisting her upright before dragging her back down the stairs. She was left pondering what he meant by his words.

…

'Scarlette! What in the seven hells is this?!'

Scarlette nearly choked on her breakfast that following morning at her dad's enraged voice. He came into the kitchen with a newspaper in his lap, shoving it into her arms. She folded it open, her heart sinking into her stomach at the picture of her and Kaiba kissing, a picture of them arriving together and a picture of them dancing. The pictures weren't that clear but one could easily recognize her if they knew her.

Above the pictures there were huge letters that read:

' _Seto Kaiba gets cozy with mystery lady at Domino's charity ball. Did someone finally manage to steal the seemingly cold CEO's heart?'_

'I thought you said you weren't involved with him', her dad argued.

She sighed, shoving the glaring picture away from her. 'I'm not – I mean...' she bit her bottom lip; 'I'm under contract to be his date for social events. I get paid extra since it evening hours', she shrugged.

To say her father's face dropped was an understatement. 'You're not serious -' 'I am. I have to do something to pay off our debts, don't I?' she cut him off.

'Not by selling yourself -' 'I'm not selling myself to him! For heaven's sake, dad, you can't criticize my job when you can't hold one yourself!'

Right after saying that, Scarlette felt terrible for speaking out. She lowered her head, tears stinging in her violet eyes.

'I'm sorry…' she began to sob; 'I-I'm sorry I said that…' she looked at him, the shock of her outburst still written on his face; 'I don't want you t-to worry over me. I just want us to have a good life…without having to worry about the money we have to pay off', she whimpered.

With a very deep sigh, he took both her hands in his, kissing her knuckles. She got out of her seat, kneeling down in front of him before burying her face into his lap. Slowly, she started to cry.

'You remind me so much of your mother. She didn't like being told what to do either', he murmured, softly petting her hair.

She lifted her head, tears rolling down her cheeks. Her mother's image flashed through her mind; her sweet laugh, her calming voice…

'I miss her', she admitted.

'So do I, kiddo', her father responded with a sigh; 'so do I.'

…

On her way up to Kaiba's office, people in the elevator with her started whispering about her. She tried to ignore it but she could so clearly hear them;

'Isn't that the girl that Mr. Kaiba was with yesterday?'

'Looks like it. I guess that explains why she got the job of being his assistant.'

'Yeah. Who knows what goes on in that office when the door is closed.'

That did it for her; she turned to the two men whispering about her. She had seen them before; they were two sleazy programmers from the gaming department. 'I can hear you guys. I'm not deaf', she snapped at them.

One of the two, a blond, pouted like a child at her. 'So is it true, then? You were getting cozy with Mr. CEO last night?'

Her face grew flushed; she hadn't allowed herself to think back to the kiss. She couldn't. Thinking about it only led her fantasies run wild and she didn't want to have those kinds of thoughts about her superior.

'Even if it was me, why would that be of interest to you two?' she scoffed.

The other, a dark haired fellow, offered a grin. 'Well, we're curious. You must've known Kaiba before you became his assistant. Did he hire you so the two of you could be close to one another all the time?' he asked.

His friend beside him chuckled. 'Yeah', he stepped closer; 'does he bend you over on his desk when he gets stressed?'

Her face grew even hotter at the thought. Refusing to think about that, she just glared at them.

'Why don't you just shove off? It's none of your damn business!' she snarled.

The dark-haired poked his elbow at his friend. 'See? I told you Kaiba has sex in his office', he smirked with a stomach-turning grin.

She could only be glad when the elevator stopped. She was close to crying; was this what was going to happen from now on? Would people only view her as Kaiba's toy?

When she _finally_ managed to get out of the elevator, she didn't turn around. Not even when both of them threw obscene words and phrases at her back. Unluckily for them, Kaiba had just stepped out of his office when they did.

He took one look at her, noting her distressed features, and then narrowed his blue eyes. He stalked past her, gripping the door of the elevator firmly before it could close. The two programmers, whom had previously laughed loudly, only wore terrified looks now.

'W-we meant no d-disrespect, sir!' the blonde stammered.

'So that's why you insult my assistant? You do realize that by insulting her, you insult me _and_ this company?' Kaiba's voice had gone low with anger and he seemed to fully intend to stare both programmers down until they were sobbing at his feet.

'You're lucky I'm letting you off the hook this time. But if I hear you yelling at my assistant again, I won't be so generous', with that, he let go of the elevator-door, turning back to meet her eyes.

She was still in awe by his outburst. He kept standing up for her and it seemed so out of character for him. Ever since he hired her, she slowly started to see a side of him she had never seen before.

She roughly chewed on her bottom lip, feeling a few tears run down her cheeks. He sighed at her.

'My office, now', even though it was an order, his voice remained relatively normal. At least he wasn't angry with her.

She obediently followed him into his office, closed the door behind her and then took a seat in the chair at the opposite of his desk. He sat down after her, folding his fingers together and resting his chin against them.

She kept her eyes on her hands in her lap; twiddling her thumbs nervously. She didn't know what he was going to say but it didn't feel good. After last night, she wasn't sure she could look him in the eyes again. The whole situation just caused her a lot of discomfort and confusion. She had never wanted this. She had never wanted to have her face all over the news. How was she going to go out with her friends like this?

'I'm sorry.'

Her eyes widened in disbelief and she carefully looked up. Surely she had misheard him? He hadn't just apologized, had he? Seto Kaiba didn't apologize, to no-one…

'I-I beg your pardon?' she asked.

'I should've warned you before I asked all this of you, or at least try to prepare you. Last night was the equivalent of a shark tank', he answered.

She studied him for a moment, wondering what was going through his head. As of lately, he had been showing her what almost resembled kindness and she couldn't decide whether she liked it or not. She knew Kaiba for a rude man, inconsiderate of other people's feelings; she knew how to deal with him when he was like that. But this…kind side to him…it left her in the dark. She had no idea how to anticipate his sudden gentleman-like acts. And it scared her.

She swallowed. 'Have you spoken to the press yet?' she wondered.

He let out a scoff. 'The press is the least of my concerns', which left her frowning.

Why were they even having this conversation then? She thought it was about the damage control he had to do.

'I don't -' 'I want to know if _you're_ doing okay', he cut her off.

'I'm fine', she lied through her teeth. She didn't want his sympathy.

'Don't lie to me', he sharply replied.

She narrowed her violet colored eyes. She knew she had to watch her mouth she just couldn't. Not after last night. They had already crossed the line as far as she was concerned. In fact, _he_ had crossed the line by kissing her like that.

'You're not my boyfriend, okay? Out there we may pretend to be a couple but that doesn't mean we need to start talking like we are', she watched his jaw clench at her words and for a moment she felt fearful by the dark, displeased look he was giving her.

'Seto!' suddenly Mokuba barged in; 'can I take Scarlette down to the robotics lab?'

Kaiba scoffed; 'just get her out of my sight', with that, he was back to being an asshole. Scarlette didn't bother by it. He had no reason to be mad. He had what he wanted; a fake girlfriend to keep the fangirls off his ass.

'Oh boy', Mokuba took hold of her hand; 'come on', he urged her.

She let the tall boy drag her along, but still felt Kaiba glare daggers in her back until she was out of sight.

…

 **Yeah so a lot happened ha ha. Something tells me Kaiba might have another motive than to just stop the fangirls ;)**

 **Anyway, please rate and review. It lets me know you guys care ^^**

 **Lots of Love,**

 **~TheOneWithTooManyInterests**


	6. Chapter 6

'What did you do? I've never seen Seto look so angry.'

Scarlette rolled her eyes as she rode the elevator with Mokuba. 'I just told him how it really is. We don't need to uphold appearances at work', she shrugged.

Mokuba pouted at her. 'Have you ever considered that he might want that?' he suggested.

She shook her head. Mokuba was wrong. It was just for work, Kaiba had no other motives for asking her to be his fake girlfriend. At least, that was what she thought. There was always that little voice in the back of her head that told her she was deluding herself. _Of course he has another motive, he likes you…_

She shrugged that thought off her. That couldn't be it. She refused to believe that.

'You guys looked great in the pictures though. That one particular photo looked _really_ convincing', she shot the younger Kaiba death glare. She didn't need the reminder.

'Come to think of it, that might've been Seto's first real kiss', Mokuba went on.

At that, she lifted an eyebrow. That was a lie; it had to be. There was no way Kaiba had never kissed a girl. It certainly _hadn't_ felt like it was…

She shivered. 'What are you talking about? Surely he had dates before right?' why was she even asking this?

'Well not exactly dates', she noticed how Mokuba shifted on his feet; 'don't tell him I told you, but Seto never really had dates before. He was never able to open up to anyone but me so he just took a different girl home every now and then. And even then he refused to kiss any of them', she watched how the long-haired teen bit his bottom lip; 'I just want Seto to be happy', he added softly.

Scarlette put a hand on his shoulder. Even though Mokuba was younger than she was, he was as tall as her, if not taller. But she felt for him; she had never truly realized how complicated the relationship between the two brothers was. She had never bothered to look into it, figuring Kaiba was a big jerk, just because. But it seemed there was a lot more to Seto Kaiba than she had first thought.

Mokuba looked at her with tearful eyes, wiping them quickly to flash her cheeky smile. 'We should have a family dinner tonight. Just the four of us', he grinned.

She let go of him. 'Four of us?' she asked.

'Yeah! You me, Seto and your dad', she flushed at the thought.

'I-I'd rather not. My dad's not very mobile and -' 'hey we can arrange a car, no worries. And we'll have dinner at the Kaiba mansion to avoid the press!' Mokuba went on.

The elevator came to a halt and she couldn't stop Mokuba from going on and on about it. She guessed not taking no for an answer ran in the family.

…

They had arrived at the robotics lab a little while later. Scarlette halted in front of a huge glass window, watching several people in lab-coats stand around a dog lying on a metal table.

'What are they doing?' she questioned Mokuba.

The latter put his hands behind his head, grinning again. 'It's the project Seto started for your dad', he smirked.

She gave him a sideways glance. 'Very funny', she crossed her arms; 'next you'll be telling me he took me out yesterday just because he wanted to see me in a ball-gown', she muttered.

'Well I don't know about that last part but Seto specifically told these folks to find a cure for a man whom was paralyzed from the waist down', Mokuba shrugged.

Scarlette put a hand to her head to ease an oncoming headache. 'Just stop', she pleaded.

She didn't want to believe Kaiba had done all this for her. She couldn't believe it. It wasn't who he was.

'Hey, look! That dog just moved!'

She removed her hand from her eyes, studying the dog more closely. They had injected it with the nanobots, because the dog had lost movement in its hind legs. And now…she could see those very legs slowly twitch with life.

Her eyes widened. 'This isn't happening…' she breathed out.

Shock overtook her when the dog began to wag its tail. It put its front legs down first, sitting upright before ever so slowly getting on its hind legs. Her mouth dropped; it actually worked?!

'Pretty neat, huh? Whoa!'

She had embraced Mokuba before she could help herself. She buried her face into his collar, sniffing.

'Thank you! You have no idea how happy it makes me to know that this actually works!' she exclaimed.

Mokuba took her by her shoulders. 'Don't thank me, I didn't start the project -' both grew quiet as one of the lab-coats emerged from the room.

'Ah Miss Hopkins', the older man said; 'what a pleasure to see you', somehow she knew his smile wasn't genuine.

 _He was just being nice because he had seen the newspaper_ , she concluded, _one foul word towards me and he'd be quacking in his boots…_

'It's an impressive project you've got here', she commented.

'State of the art, one of a kind KaibaCorp. Nanobots. They'll take the world by storm', the older man spoke.

Mokuba chuckled. 'Stop bragging to the lady, Kyle', he tapped the man on the shoulder; 'he's right of course but we need to have some sort of modesty', he went on.

Scarlette suppressed a laugh. Kaiba and modesty? Well those were two words that did _not_ belong in the same sentence.

There was a sudden, high-pitched bark that came from the room they were standing in front of. The man named Kyle quickly hurried in and both Mokuba and Scarlette looked at the dog was hunched over, whining and barking as if it was in pain.

As quickly as the hope of having a cure for her father had climbed, it came crashing down at the same pace while she watched the dog struggle.

'What happened?'

'The nanobots first replaced the damaged nerves but now they're attacking working nerves as well!'

Unwilling to look at the cruelty the animal went through, she turned around, heading back towards the elevator. Mokuba ran after her.

'Hey, wait!' he grabbed her arm, causing her to stop in her tracks. She fought her tears. She didn't want to cry, she _wouldn't_ cry! She had to be strong for her father.

She pressed the button of the elevator, exhaling a shuddering breath. Mokuba next to her took her by both her shoulders.

'It will work, Scarlette. They just hit a speed bump, that's all', he tried to cheer her up.

She offered half a smile. She really appreciated the attempt to cheer her up but she knew better than most that waiting on miracles was pointless.

'Oh hang on, I've got a call', she eyed Mokuba as he took out his phone. She leaned against the cold, metal wall, sighing and pushing her hands through her hair.

'Yeah, we watched the test, Seto, but something went wrong. The nanobots attacked the cells after repairing them', there was a pause and she briefly felt Mokuba's eyes on her; 'she's a bit shaken up but other than that she's fine', he said.

'Sure, I'll tell her that. Just give her a call when you want to go out for lunch. We'll wait', with that, he hung up.

'Seto's not happy about the failed test. He wants you to keep your phone on you and you could take me anywhere as long as it's in this building. He'll call you when he wants us to come back for lunch', he told her.

'Fair enough. So where do you want to go?' she asked.

The younger Kaiba offered another grin. 'Come with me.'

…

They had lunch at a quite expensive restaurant that afternoon. Most of the dishes on the menu, she couldn't even pronounce. After a bit bickering with Mokuba, she had settled on a simple pasta.

Scarlette watched Mokuba and Kaiba talk back and forth; most of it was about the failed test of that morning. It had put her in a bad mood. That, and judging by the bad cramps she was getting…she knew it was about that time of the month again. _Just great, no wonder I turn hysterical so easily_ , she thought to herself.

'Maybe we should try something external, instead of internal', Mokuba suggested; 'What do you think, Scarlette?'

The question came unexpected and she was pulled out of her thoughts with a jolt. 'Y-yeah, sure. Like an exoskeleton right? But hasn't that been invented already?' she asked.

Kaiba chuckled, almost scoffed. She glared daggers at him. Of course he'd think she was stupid for saying that. She was so close to ramming her fork through his hand.

'We can make it better, more lightweight, and earn more money in the progress', he looked to his brother; 'Mokuba, call the robotics department and tell them to make a sketch ASAP', he told his brother.

With a nod, Mokuba had left the table, leaving her alone with Kaiba. She just rubbed her forehead, for the millionth time. Why wasn't this headache letting up?

'You look terrible.'

 _Thanks for noticing, jackass._ She just sighed, avoiding eye contact with him to look outside.

'I have a bad headache', she muttered; 'but thanks for the compliment.'

She watched him pinch the bridge of his nose. Her eyes softened. 'I'm sorry', he focused his eyes onto her; 'I'll go get some aspirin after lunch. I shouldn't take my frustration out on you', she apologized.

'Aspirin? Wouldn't you like something a little stronger?' he asked.

She wanted to answer, but doubled over as soon as her pelvic muscles suddenly contracted with such force she could barely hold back the whimper escaping from her mouth. He stood up, getting to her side.

'Y-yeah that might be a g-good idea', she breathed out; 'I'm fine, I'm not having a stroke or anything', she tried to shrug his hand off her back, only earning a scoff from him.

'You're such a bad liar', he responded.

'I am not!' she protested.

'You are', he pulled her up, causing another wave of cramps to crash through her. She put a hand on the table.

'I'm not', she insisted.

He growled. 'You're doubling over from pain and yet you insist of playing such a childish game', he shook his head at her.

'Says the CEO obsessed with blue dragons', she responded.

With a huff, he had scooped her legs out from underneath her, keeping her against his chest. She vaguely heard him to send the bill through to his office before he carried her out of the restaurant and lied her down in his car. All the while, she couldn't stop herself from leaning into him. He was so warm…

'Mokuba, I want a doctor in my office the second we get back', she heard him tell his brother.

She carefully sat up. 'I-I don't need a doctor! Just give me a strong painkiller and I'll be fine', she objected.

Kaiba deliberately ignored her. It made her wonder if he knew anything about females at all. Surely he wasn't so dense he couldn't figure out she was going to have her period right?

…

Back at the office, she was forced to stay still on the couch, two painkillers in her system and a heating pad on her stomach. Mokuba sat on the couch with her, grinning from ear to ear. She glared at him.

'Shut up, Mokuba', she kicked him with her foot.

'You were just having your period. You were being so dramatic', he giggled.

'Hey, tell that to your brother. He wanted a doctor in here, not me', she argued.

'I can hear you, Scarlette', Kaiba's voice came from behind his desk.

'I meant for you to', she answered. She threw her head back; 'well at least I got this week's paperwork done', she mumbled to herself.

'So Seto…I was thinking we have a family dinner tonight!'

 _Well fuck me sideways!_ She gave Mokuba another kick in his side to get him to shut up.

The ferocious typing stopped and Kaiba gave him a wary look. Mokuba only smirked. 'You know, we could have Scarlette's dad come over. I mean it's only fair you invite your future father-in-law -ow!'

With a thud, Scarlette had kicked him off the couch. He looked at her with surprise at first, but that turned to a mixture of humor and anger.

'Maybe next week. I can imagine Scarlette needs her rest at the moment', he waved Mokuba's proposal off.

That, however, didn't stop the teen from bringing up more subjects he shouldn't.

'You know, women are more sensitive during their periods', Mokuba moved over to Kaiba and she really didn't like where he was going with this.

'so if you want to get a bit _handsy_...' he held his hands at the height of his chest, pretending hold breasts in his palms. She immediately noticed what he meant and cursed him for insinuating that Kaiba would touch her like that; 'Shut up, Mokuba. That'll never happen! ' she threw a pillow at him, nearly hitting Kaiba in the progress; 'As if I'd enjoy that!'

 _Fuck! I might've said too much there…_

The latter was deadly silent after Mokuba's comment. The younger Kaiba only smirked and bid them both goodbye in a singsong voice as he skipped out of the office. She shook her head at him in disapproval; hormonal teens were the worst.

'You really shouldn't make statements if you're not willing to be proven wrong.'

Her mouth became agape and a deep blush tinted her cheeks. _Damn it, Mokuba!_ She cursed.

'What's that supposed to mean?' she demanded.

He pushed aside his laptop, lacing his fingers together, then looked at her. Even from across the room, she could feel the intensity and heat of his gaze.

'It means that you shouldn't challenge me, because you may not like the outcome.'

Her breathing grew thick in her throat. Slowly she moved off the couch, sitting back at her desk to get some more work done. All the while, she could still feel his eyes on her.

 _I guess that after feeling like shit and being overly emotional, I can add horny to the list as well,_ she ground her teeth together, _I'll have your ass for this, Mokuba!_

…

 **There might or might not be M-rated content in the following chapters, he he.**

 **Anyway, please rate and review. It lets me know you guys care ^^**

 **Lots of Love,**

 **~TheOneWithTooManyInterests**


	7. Chapter 7

' _You really shouldn't make statements if you're not willing to be proven wrong.'_

Scarlette rested her head against the tiled wall of the shower-stall, whimpering. The hot water helped ease her muscles but didn't help with the throbbing ache she was feeling between her legs.

She closed her eyes for a moment, only to let them flutter open at the sound of the shower-stall being pulled open. A strong arm circled around her waist, pulling her to whoever it was behind her. Warm, steady breathing ghosted over her neck and shoulder and a deep chuckle led her to identify the intruder.

'K-Kaiba? What are y-you doing here?' she stuttered.

Her face grew incredibly warm; why was Kaiba in her shower?!

He nipped at her earlobe. 'I don't know. It's your dream', he murmured.

She took in a deep breath. So she was dreaming? Why did it feel so real then?-

'I-I don't understand -' 'don't play dumb, Scarlette. You and I both know I'm here because you're curious to as what I meant with my statement', he cut her off.

She bit her bottom lip; even in her dreams, Kaiba was still an arrogant jerk!

'You can try to deny it all you want. But I know for a fact you're going to take back what you said', he promised.

'What did I say, exactly?' she asked him.

'Hmm', he pressed her against the shower-wall, holding her there with his stronger, larger body; 'well that you wouldn't enjoy it if I got a bit handsy with you. I'm sure you'll take back those words', he drawled out and she shivered.

'You're wrong -' he pressed his lips to her neck, hotly, effectively cutting her off.

'Oh I think not', a devilish grin spread across his face, his hand on her stomach moving higher until his fingertips grasped at her breast. She bit harshly on her bottom lip. She didn't want to react…

'I think you really are more sensitive than normal, aren't you?' his voice grew husky with arousal and even though she normally hated his condescending tone, it only seemed to rile her up more. He drew his thumb over the middle of her breast, teasing the tip until it became tight and hard under his touch. She whined softly in response.

'Don't hold back on my account', his strong fingers closed around her flesh; 'I want you to scream for me', he growled.

She defiantly shook her head. 'I won't', her breathing had already deepened, amusing him even more.

'Yes, you will', his other hand enclosed around her other breast. He began to fondle them both, slowly at first, but she noticed how his touch became harsher, harder. And no matter how wrong it seemed…it felt so good! But she would rather be tortured like this than to lose her pride. She had never bowed down to him and she wasn't about to start.

'I-I won't give into you -' he pressed her more tightly into the wall.

'We'll see', he tugged at her earlobe with his teeth; 'we'll see…'

Scarlette jolted awake in cold sweat, breathing heavily. She put a hand to her head with a groan.

 _What the hell is wrong with me?! I can't be having that kind of dreams about my boss!_

She closed her eyes, feeling warmth creep over her face. She could still feel those strong biceps around her, his hard chest pressing into her back…

 _Ugh! Stop it!_ She scolded herself; _this is all your fault, Mokuba!_

She turned onto her side, rubbing her eyes tiredly. She ground her teeth together; she knew her hormones were to blame for this but it still bugged the hell out of her. She didn't want these dreams, not about Kaiba…

…

That Sunday afternoon, Scarlette had opted to go to the café she used to work at. As luck would have it, she had met Joey there. At first, he didn't want to talk to her. But after asking him to just give her a chance to explain, he had agreed and they had taken a stroll together.

'I do hope ya' didn't catch anything, smooching with Kaiba like that', Joey next to her pulled a grossed out face.

Scarlette laughed, pushing her sunglasses further up her nose. Since the commotion about the charity even hadn't quite died down yet, she was forced to wear a hooded jacket and a pair on sunglasses to keep low-profile.

'If I had I would've known by now', she lowered her gaze; 'though Mokuba seems very eager to set us up, making suggestive comments and what not', she stuck her tongue out; 'that kid needs to get laid', she grumbled.

It was then Joey's turn to laugh. 'It's not funny, you jerk!' she yelled at him.

'No you're right', he held a hand to his stomach; 'it's priceless!'

She ground her teeth together. She grabbed him by his ear. He let out a sound she would've found comical if she wasn't so angry with him.

'How about we trade places then! I'm sure you'll love smooching Kaiba!' she exclaimed.

'Let go of me, will ya'? No I wouldn't like that! That jerk still owes me a duel', Joey exclaimed back.

'Well you'll have to wait. He's probably going to invite my dad over for dinner', her expression turned sour.

Joey put his hands behind his head. 'How is your dad anyways?' he asked.

She shrugged. 'As good as can be expected. He keeps going to his physical therapy and that's helped a little bit', she looked up to the sky; 'but who knows? KaibaCorp. is making these lightweight exoskeletons, so maybe that's help him to walk again', she said.

'Ah yeah I forgot. Kaiba's being kinda' nice to you, right?' he asked.

'As nice as he's able to', Scarlette responded.

Her mind travelled back to what Mokuba had said; about Kaiba and his many one night stands. She couldn't imagine doing that. To not be able to kiss someone and make love to them…seemed awful to her. Though it had only confused her more as to why Kaiba _had_ kissed her. Why would he do that if it did nothing for him?

The kiss itself still lasted in her mind, even though she didn't want it. It might've been Kaiba's first kiss but it certainly hadn't felt like it. It had felt like he knew exactly what he wanted, like some instinct in him had taken over –

'Tick tock! Earth to Scarlette?!'

She blinked a few times, finding Joey right in front of her face. Shrieking, she punched him right in the face, causing him tumble a few yards backwards. He clutched his face groaning. She only gaped at him.

'Joey I'm sorry!' she gasped; 'let me help -' 'no don't touch me! Lady you pack one hell of a punch!' he cut her off.

She laughed awkwardly at him, a sweatdrop forming over her head. 'Sorry?' she apologized softly.

'Yeah yeah, you're lucky you're pretty', he grumbled.

She watched him stomp away, leaving her by herself on the sidewalk. She then got a text on her phone. She looked at it, seeing it was Kaiba.

 _The disguise really doesn't help; you stick out like a sore thumb. - Kaiba_

She looking around her. He had to be around here somewhere if he was able to see her. She scoffed.

'Creepy-ass stalker', she grumbled.

Another text. _Mind repeating that for me? - Kaiba_

She soon spotted a sleek, black sports car parked across the road. Scoffing, she went towards it, tapping on the tinted window. As it scrolled down, she indeed found Kaiba inside, looking as annoyingly handsome as ever in his purple trenchcoat. She only briefly noted how the black shirt underneath was really tight against his chest and toned stomach. So much so that it got her to wonder how she hadn't noticed before how fit he was.

She leaned against his car, glaring at him through her sunglasses, annoyed with herself for looking at him like that. _Stupid, hormonal driven dream_ , she scoffed.

'Why are you following me around?' she asked.

With a grin, he took her sunglasses off her face. She tore it out of his hand, her glare not letting up.

'What were you doing with Wheeler?' he returned the question.

'It doesn't say in my contract I can't take strolls with my friends', she paused; 'even if you despise them', she added carefully.

'You should've worn a better disguise. If I can recognize you, so will the press', he told her.

She sighed. 'Speaking of which, did you make any statements towards them?' she wondered.

'Yes, I did.'

 _Sheesh, you want to elaborate?!_

'Enlighten me', she shrugged.

He scoffed. 'Why don't you get inside first?' he gave her clothes a disapproving once over; 'those shorts are bound to attract the wrong people', she narrowed her eyes.

'Thanks a lot', _Jackass,_ she added internally, _it's summer, not everyone dressed in padded trenchcoats every day, like you!_

She got into his car, giving him an expecting look. 'Well, what did you say?' she asked.

'The usual. The 'we have been together for a while but she was kind of shy so we waited to come out in public together' route', he explained.

She snorted. 'And that worked?' she was genuinely surprised.

'One thing to know about the media, they love the shy girl-thing', was his response.

She sat back. 'How did your adoring fans react?' she could imagine his legion of fangirls going absolutely mental over the thought of their idol being stolen from them.

'They took it reasonable well. Now that there's a woman at my side, they can imagine themselves as you.'

 _Oh goody,_ Scarlette could already see the room of a fifteen-year-old girl, posters of Seto Kaiba on her wall, with the pictures from the newspapers, only to have her face be covered by a chunky cutout of the girl's face. It humored her really; she thought it was rather funny.

She noted his facial expression; he seemed pleased with himself. That led her to one conclusion;

'You're being smug about it. You like the attention', she then concluded.

He rolled his eyes at her. She started to laugh at him, much to his chagrin. She couldn't believe it; Seto Kaiba was actually a bit of an attention-whore! Why hadn't she thought of that before?! He was such a big peacock; puffing out his chest, to be the best at everything!

'Don't push your luck', he warned her.

She kept laughing. 'O-or what? Y-you'll spank me?' she was close to tears by then she didn't notice how his jaw tightened at her comment.

'Keep going and I might just do exactly that.'

She wiped a few tears away, her expression turning serious. Well shit, she had made him angry again.

'Well if that got out to the media that would reflect badly on you', she tried to avoid the subject.

She wasn't about to discuss sexual matters with him, _again_. What Mokuba had done was bad enough as it was…

'I doubt it', and he was back to being the usual Kaiba. She leaned her head back, her mind flashing back to the talk she had with her father about the 'family dinner'. He hadn't minded at all. He said he was happy to be present.

'Did Mokuba bring up the family dinner again?' she wondered.

'Yeah. I don't know what you did but he can't stop going on about it', he started the car. She buckled up, but kept her gaze on him.

'I didn't do anything. It was his idea', she argued.

'I figured', his blue eyes were fixated on the road ahead but he seemed to be listening at the same time.

She swallowed; could she bring up the subject of Mokuba trying to set them up? She wanted to, just to clear the air but she had no idea what Kaiba's reaction would be. He was so damn unpredictable lately…

'Sounds to me like your younger brother is trying to play matchmaker', she said, very carefully.

Already was her stomach tying in knots. And Kaiba's neutral expression gave her no clue to his eventual response.

'He thinks I need more people in my life. A woman in particular', he answered curtly.

She pondered her next words, but decided to speak her mind nonetheless. 'Yeah, but he shouldn't just try to set us up just because I'm your assistant, right?' her cheeks grew flushed and she averted her eyes at the thought; 'I highly doubt that would turn out well for either of us…' she whispered the last part under her breath, but somehow knew he had heard her despite all that.

She put her arms around herself, suddenly regretting ever saying anything about the subject. She didn't know what it was but it just made her so damn uncomfortable. Just the thought of being in a _real_ relationship with Kaiba unnerved her. How could she possibly love a man that had so many walls up around him?

She had always looked at Kaiba like a big jerk and she had been fine with that. But now, thanks to Mokuba, she was slowly starting to see more of whom he really was and if she was being honest with herself…it terrified her. It was so much easier to despise him than to sympathize with him.

The car pulling to a halt shook her out of her thoughts. She looked out of the window, seeing that Kaiba had pulled over at a sushi restaurant. She gave him a worried look.

'I can't go into such a luxurious place looking like this!' she protested.

He simply ignored her protests, and got out of the car. Muttering insults to him under her breath, she pulled off her hood and followed him. As she did, he took hold of her hand, a strangely affectionate gesture on his part but she didn't push it. They were in public, she couldn't make a scene.

With a huff, he dragged her inside. He didn't bother asking for a table and it didn't surprise her that the staff didn't say anything. Kaiba was the biggest, baddest, most intimidating and well-known CEO in Domino. They wouldn't dare to cross him.

She sighed, resting her chin in her palm. She guessed fake-dating Kaiba had its perks. No-one dared to talk back to her, which often left her amused. She had seen Mokuba take advantage of the fact he was Kaiba's brother and he urged her to do the same.

When the waiter arrived, Kaiba ordered the wine, like he usually did and they were both presented with a menu. She curiously looked through it; all of the dishes looked amazing.

'Don't bother ordering the cheapest thing on the menu', she looked up; 'let me worry over the money', he insisted.

'Sure', she rubbed her eyes; she wouldn't order too much food. Her stomach was still upset with her, as it usually was during her period. She just felt lucky she had ingested a few pain-killers before leaving the house.

'How are your debts?' she gazed up to Kaiba's blue eyes.

'Fine, I guess. If I keep up like this, I might've paid off everything by the end of next month', the words sounded ridiculous as they left her mouth. Then again, her salary at KaibaCorp. was startlingly high, and she hadn't even included the extra money she received from going out with him.

'Good', the wine arrived and they both gave through their orders. He sipped from his glass, though not keeping her eyes off her; 'and your father?'

 _Well aren't you being nice all of a sudden,_ she fought her smile. She wouldn't admit it, but part of her much preferred the relaxed Kaiba to the stressed out, always moody Kaiba.

'Dad's been okay. He tries to be out of the house as much as possible', she paused; 'he even joined a tennis club for disabled people', she smiled.

'I want him to come over to KaibaCorp. tomorrow', Kaiba suddenly spoke; 'we've made a prototype for the exoskeleton and I want him to be the first to try it out', he went out.

She let her eyes widen. 'You're kidding?' she asked.

He smirked. 'I don't kid', he responded.

'Well you must've had a terrible life then', her comment was meant to be humorous but she saw him tense up terribly at it. That led her to believe she had unintentionally struck a sore spot. So it had something to do with his past that he was like this?

She carefully reached for his hand across the table. 'I'm sorry…I didn't mean it like that', she apologized.

He just shrugged it off. 'Well you're right, my childhood wasn't the best, but I've put that behind me', the tone of his voice was flat with disinterest.

She bit her lip. 'Kaiba…I really am sorry -' 'just drop it, Scarlette' he pulled his hand out of her grasp and with that simple movement, he had shut down the conversation. She found it wise not to push him any further.

'I'll talk to my dad about Monday', she tried to keep talking to him, even though he had shut her off so rudely before.

'Good', he swirled the wine in his glass absently; 'we also fly to Los Angeles oncoming Wednesday till Friday. I'm looking to improve my DuelDisk system and I might collaborate with a company for some materials', he explained.

That left her panicked. She had never left her dad alone at home ever since the accident!

He noticed her discomfort. 'What is it?' he asked.

Her mouth dropped. 'My dad…I can't leave him -' 'I'll take care of it', he assured her.

She let her tense shoulders drop slightly. 'Thank you', she smiled at him.

What seemed to be a hint of a genuine smile flashed across his face. 'You're welcome.'

…

 **OMG no Kaiba can't smile! Every time Kaiba smiles, a puppy dies! Ha ha. Anyway, they're going on a business trip together. And I added in a subtle Easter egg about Kaiba's new DuelDisk. Since he finished the production for them around the same time Ishizu arrived (and keep in mind that Kaiba had enough DuelDisks for all the duelists in Battle City, I figured it would take a few months before they were finished, so that's what the business trip is for)**

 **Anyway, please rate and review. It lets me know you guys care ^^**

 **Lots of Love,**

 **~TheOneWithTooManyInterests**


	8. Chapter 8

That Monday morning brought nothing but rain. And even though Scarlette had taken the bus that stopped right around the corner of KaibaCorp., the short walk from the bus stop to the entrance left her soaked from head to toe. She then cursed herself for wearing a dark blue, silk blouse. And despite wearing a black waistcoat on top, the blouse clung to her skin in all the wrong places.

'Utterly useless', she cursed to herself in the elevator.

She rocked back and forth on her high heels, her cramps now a slight ache due to the painkillers she had taken. She had stuffed a few more in her bag, just in case. Along with a re-usable heat pack, she was ready for another day. She just hoped her inappropriate thoughts wouldn't invade her mind again.

She was nervous about this afternoon. They'd have her dad try out the exoskeleton. She could only hope it would work.

The elevator stopped and she hopped off, quickly moving into Kaiba's office. The latter was already busy on his laptop. He briefly looked up, but his gaze stayed longer than she expected. She cursed her blouse for sticking to her breasts and creating an unnecessary sideshow for him.

'You look nice today.'

 _Oh fuck you, Kaiba! You're just saying that to make me feel worse about myself!_ She sat down, starting up her computer.

'So…this Wednesday…am I going with you as your assistant or as your girlfriend?' she asked.

He kept tying on his laptop. 'Girlfriend', he shortly replied.

She chuckled. 'So should I bring along that blue dress then?' she asked.

'You're not wearing that dress in front of my associate, Scarlette. I told you before, that dress is for my eyes only', he didn't take his eyes off the screen as he spoke.

'Buzzkill', she pouted.

'I heard that', he called back.

She just giggled. 'If you really hated my backtalk so much, you'd tell me to stop', she stated.

'You're right. You can be quite charming from time to time', _is he flirting with me?_ she thought.

It struck her as odd, though. Even though she was his employee, he let her get away with back-talking and even calling him foul names. Why did he allow her to say such things? She didn't understand.

A moment of silence. 'Bring that dress with you. I want you to wear it during our private dinner.'

She chuckled to herself. He really seemed to like that dress. Maybe she had to tell him to put it on himself.

 _Well he has the legs for it,_ she reminded herself. It was true; Kaiba was broadly built but he also had glorious long legs. It seemed there was nothing about him she didn't find attractive…

 _So why not seduce him if you like him that much_. She shook her head at that small voice inside her head. She wouldn't, _couldn't_!

 _Why not? You're practically his girlfriend already_ , the voice went on, _he has a soft spot for you and you're a fool if you think otherwise…_

She rubbed her tired eyelids. It was going to be a very long day…

…

Her dad had dropped by shortly after lunch. The secretary had called Kaiba, and he had told her to send him down to the robotics lab. Right now, Scarlette stood beside him in the elevator, rocking back and forth on her heels.

'Stop fidgeting', Kaiba scolded her.

'I can't help it!' she argued.

He sighed deeply. With one long stride, he had effectively pressed her up against the steel wall. She dropped her clipboard from her hands, her cheeks growing warm from his closeness.

 _Oh get a grip, Scarlette, this isn't like high school!_ She still gazed up to him, even when his hand touched the side of her face and his eyes held a more gentle look in them. She cursed herself for blushing but she couldn't help herself.

'It'll be fine', his had dropped to a low, almost soothing tone, which startled her and made her break the physical contact between the two of them instantly.

She bent down to pick up her clipboard, feeling his eyes travel up her legs and curve of her back. He seemed to like what he was looking at and began to smirk smugly. _For fuck's sake, quit staring already!_ She internally yelled at him.

The elevator stopped and the doors slid open. He got out first, leaving her to follow him. They stopped by the all too familiar windows of the robotics lab and Scarlette watched with a mixed feeling as the lab-coats helped her dad out of his wheelchair. She shifted on her feet, nervously.

It didn't take too long for Mokuba to show up as well. She heard him exchange words with Kaiba but that soon faded away as all she could focus on was her dad. He was all she had left; she just wanted him to be happy…

She felt a heavy hand on her shoulder. It was warm, comforting and exactly what she needed. She placed her hand atop the one on her shoulder, fighting her tears.

 _Stupid PMS!_ She ground her teeth together firmly. She wasn't going to cry!

The exoskeleton was positioned on his back first. The thing itself was made of metal, but was coated in a layer of silicone to help it adhere better. Kaiba had said there were many small needles on the side that laid against the skin, connecting with the nerves in the spine.

Next, they attached it to his legs in a similar fashion. She watched anxiously, tightening her grin on the hand that lay on her shoulder.

'All right, Mr. Hopkins. It's fully secure. Now can you make a step forward?'

She held her breath. Slowly the people would let go of him and he remained upright on his own. _Well that was a first_ , she thought.

She watched him with growing shock as he _very slowly,_ lifted up his foot. Doing so, however, caused him to lose his balance and he stumbled onto the ground. She wanted to go in and help but as she saw her dad shoo away the doctors, she was wise to stay put.

He struggled, she could see that. But bit by bit, he got onto his knees. By then, one of the lab-coats wanted to help him.

'Get off! I'm doing this myself!'

'Well looks like we now know where you get your stubborn nature', came Kaiba's voice.

She gave him a brief look, only now noticing it was his hand on her shoulder. She reacted as if she'd been electrocuted; she jolted away from his touch, focusing all her attention on her dad.

He held onto the metal table, slowly hoisting himself up and bracing himself against it.

'Sir do you need anything -' 'just get off!' her dad snarled at them again and she had to fight the urge to giggle.

He stood upright again, hesitating to move. She bit her lip, placing her hand on the glass. He then noticed her and she gave him a smile. _You can do it_ , she mouthed silently.

His gaze grew more confident and he nodded. He allowed a nurse to hold his shaking hand and he then _took his first step._

She had promised herself she wouldn't cry, but she could feel the hot tears spill from her eyes as she watched her father take hesitant step and hesitant step.

'He-he's doing it!' she exclaimed happily. She turned around, and in her swirl of emotions, threw her arms around Kaiba's neck to hug him; 'thank you so much!'

He let out an awkward cough, much to Mokuba's humor. She pulled back, her arms still around his neck. His gaze briefly dropped to her parted lips and suddenly felt very timid. He was looking at her as more as _just_ an assistant, and she wondered what he would've done if they had been by themselves.

'I-I…' her cheeks grew warm as Mokuba's laughter echoed down the hall. She let go of him, stepping back; 'sorry.'

She turned back to the window, still smiling. She felt so happy. And despite the weather, she felt as if nothing could tear her down today.

…

They had gone for a stroll together; the rain had finally blown over and Kaiba had told her to help her dad, stretch his new legs. He couldn't fully move on his own, due to the three years he hadn't been able to walk, so he had crutches to support him, for now.

She was to stay on the property, which wasn't that difficult. Apart from the main tower, KaibaCorp. was huge. There was a duel dome near the sea, along with several other buildings she hadn't been to before. Scarlette held onto her dad's arm, as he still walked a bit uneasily.

'So', he started; 'how much do we owe the CEO for this?' he asked.

'We don't owe him a single dollar, dad. I tried talking about a price and he wouldn't hear it', she answered.

Her dad stopped walking, and heaved a long sigh. She grew worried. 'Dad?' she asked.

'You do realize this is beyond what a normal employer would do for his assistant, right?'

Her back tensed. She didn't want to think about it. She didn't want to look into Kaiba's motives…

'Dad -' 'no, Scarlette. You and I both know there's more to this than just a friendly favor', he cut her off.

Her throat grew thick. She didn't like where this conversation was going…

'You've always been oblivious to other people's feelings', he smiled at her.

She felt her chest tighten with fear. 'D-dad Kaiba's not - I mean -' she bit her bottom lip.

'Sweetheart, he likes you; I may have been crippled but I'm not blind. When I got out of that room…his eyes never left you', her father argued.

She gave no response. 'What if I don't want him to like me?' she asked.

'Why not?' her dad asked.

A stray tear ran down her cheek. 'Because when he was just being a jerk, I knew how to respond to that! Now that he's being all nice…I can't figure it out…it terrifies me…!' she admitted with a shriek.

She roughly wiped her tears with a whimper. Her dad moved closer, putting an arm around her.

'Sometimes you just have to take a leap in the dark, sweetheart. Don't try to control everything around you', he whispered.

'Well if I don't, he'll do and I don't him to be in control', she muttered stubbornly.

At that, her dad laughed, much to her chagrin. 'Oh you are your mother's child', he chuckled; 'but try to relax. He's not out to hurt you. He wouldn't have helped you if he wanted to cause you pain', he advised her.

She rolled her eyes. 'I'll try.' _No you won't! you stubborn piece of shit!_

She buried her face into his collar, upset with herself. Why was life so complicated?!

…

When Scarlette got back to Kaiba's office, she could hear him talk on the phone. Not wanting to disturb him, she waited by the door, being able to make out what he was saying. She wasn't one to eavesdrop but when she heard her name, her curiosity got the better of her.

'No Mokuba, I'm not doing that…don't give me that crap. No…I tried that and she darts away like a frightened animal. Yes, I know that but that doesn't make it any less frustrating! Have patience? Can't you give me more advice than that?'

There was a pause; 'so I should be less subtle? I was never subtle but she's so dense.'

She frowned. Was he talking about her? if he was, what the hell was he discussing? It sounded so vague…

'Alright, alright. I'll try that. I'll keep you posted.'

She could faintly hear him get up. She quickly made herself scarce and decided to brew him a cup of coffee to look a little bit less conspicuous. When he opened the door to his office and noticed her, he sighed.

'You're back already. For a moment there I was worried I was going to need to fetch my own coffee', she walked up to him, handing him the mug, 'you're welcome', she pushed past him, retaking her seat at her desk.

He remained by the door for a few seconds before going back to his desk. He took a seat, knotting his fingers together and resting his mouth against them. His gaze was strained on his laptop but every now and then, she could just feel him look at her. And every time she looked up, he had turned away. It was like high school all over again.

'My dad asked about the payment', she then said.

'We've talked about this', he sat back in his chair crossing his arms over his broad chest; 'you don't have to pay me', he argued.

'But why not?' she asked.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. 'Just let it go, Scarlette', he muttered.

She grew frustrated but decided not to push it. Doing that only caused him to blow up. And she didn't want that.

…

 **Hey Scarlette's dad can walk again, hoorah! And we have yet to discover Kaiba's motives. What was he talking about on the phone? I guess we'll have to find out ;)**

 **Anyway, please rate and review. It lets me know you guys care ^^**

 **Lots of Love,**

 **~TheOneWithTooManyInterests**


	9. Chapter 9

That next day had flown by in a hurry, much to Scarlette's annoyance. She didn't like the thought of being alone with Kaiba for three days. He was already becoming unpredictable, who knew what else he was planning…

She just hauled her suitcase down the steps of her apartment, allowing Kaiba's driver to take it from her. She yawned for a moment; why was his private jet leaving so _fucking_ early?

She got into the car, scrubbing her eyes before tiredly glaring at the man beside her.

'I hate you for doing this to me', she grumbled.

He rolled his eyes. 'Don't be dramatic.'

'But Kaiba…' she put her hand to his shoulder, pulling a scary face; 'the morning is evil!' she declared.

He crossed his arms, obviously not humored by her behavior. 'Quit acting like a child', he muttered.

She pouted. 'You're no fun', she sighed.

'You should try to sleep once we board my jet', he put a hand to her waist, pulling her against him; 'in the meantime, just relax', the low voice was back again, she noticed.

Yawning again, she settled her head against his shoulder, feeling his hand slowly go through her hair.

'Is this okay?' he checked.

 _Well you're being considerate. What happened to that stick up your ass?_ 'I guess', she further shifted into him.

She didn't like to admit it but she liked his gentle, little gestures. It felt nice.

'Kaiba -' 'you don't have to call me that', she frowned, looking up to his blue eyes.

'Are we on first name basis?' she wondered.

He raised an eyebrow at her. 'I've had my tongue in your mouth, I think that excuses you from using my last name', she glared at him.

Her face flushed. 'Don't remind me', she lowly spoke.

'Well, you're no fun', he murmured against her forehead.

 _Oh fuck you!_ she lowered her head, _I can't stand you openly flirting with me. Please go back to being asshole Kaiba…_

…

They had boarded the private jet before the sunrise. Scarlette had never been on a private plane before and she was amazing by the luxurious couches. There was even a TV, though she didn't plan on using it.

She looked out of the window, being huddled up with a blanket on one of the spacious couches. And even though there was enough room, Kaiba decided that for some reason, he had to take a seat next to her. She pushed him with her foot.

'Quick hogging my space', she tried to glare at him but she was way too tired.

He let out a huff of air, picking up a stray pillow and putting it in his lap. Before she could ask what he was planning, he took her by her arms, letting her lay her head on the pillow.

Deciding not to fight him, she turned onto her side, facing away from him. She could feel him playing with her hair again and it only made her cheeks grow warm. He was such a confusing man; one moment he was yelling at her and brushing her off like he did to everyone else and the next he'd be displaying acts of what she could only describe as genuine affection.

'You should try to sleep. It'll take a few hours before we arrive in Los Angeles', came his deep voice.

'Well you're being such a gentleman all of a sudden', she muttered.

She could hear him snicker. His fingertips traced behind her ear and she shivered unwillingly. 'You're no good to me when you're in a bad mood', his fingers moved to massage her scalp and she back of her neck.

 _Figures_ , she felt her neck loosen as he continued to work it, _I have to give the man credit, he's good with his hands…_

At some point, she gave into her sleep, drifting off feeling quite peaceful.

…

She could feel the plane descending by the time she woke up. Opening her eyes, she could heard Kaiba was on the phone. And judging from the voice at the other end…it was probably Mokuba.

' _You really need to stop being insecure, Seto.'_

She furrowed her brows together. What could Kaiba be insecure about?

She could feel his fingers swirling locks of her hair, as he sighed deeply and tiredly. She just closed her eyes again, not wanting him to know she was eavesdropping, _again_.

' _You've just got to pay attention to her body language. Most women will give off certain signals like twirl with their hair or try to move closer when they like a guy.'_

Her face grew warm. So they were talking about a girl?

'Most women, sure, but she's not like most women, Mokuba. You know that', he responded.

' _I know! But I can't just flat out ask her what she thinks about you'_ , there was a pause; _'even though you're right about her being dense. I mean, you think that setting up a project especially for her father would tip her off.'_

She had to keep herself from gasping. Were they talking about her?! Had her dad been right? Had she truly been so oblivious?!

She felt Kaiba's hand move along her side, stopping at her neck. He then let out a chuckle.

'You're right. Most women throw themselves at me and it just happens to turn out that the one I have my eye on can't take a _fucking_ hint.'

 _Well fuck you too, asshole! Until a few months ago I was unaware that you were capable of positive emotions!_ She cursed at him.

' _Maybe you should plan a romantic dinner?'_

He scoffed. 'I don't do romantic well, you know that', was his response.

' _You can try. You need to make it obvious you like her, otherwise she won't respond.'_

'Tell me something I don't know', came his grumbling voice.

She shifted, feeling him tense up as she did.

' _I've said it before, big brother, but you need to be patient. I know you don't like to hear it, but not everything can go the way you want it to.'_

She let a ghost of a grin creep up in on her lips. _Way to go, Mokuba!_

'I'll keep that in mind', he hung up the phone and she could feel him shake her shoulder. She opened her eyes, rubbing them like she had just woken up before sitting upright.

She kept her back to him, his hands still going through her hair to get rid of small tangles.

'Please tell me we're settling into our hotel first?' she asked.

'We're meeting my associate tonight. Him and his escort will join us for dinner', she turned around, her eyes narrowed.

'Escort?' she asked.

'Most of my associates are a lot older than I am. They hire escorts to be their dates. Probably because they can't get a date by themselves', he answered.

She pulled her hair over one shoulder, beginning to put it into a braid as she pondered his words. In that were the case, than she was an escort too. Kaiba paid her to go out with him. Though she was confused over what his motives were. And after that call he had with Mokuba…she felt lost in her own emotions.

'Doesn't that mean I'm an escort as well then?' she wondered.

He pulled a disgusted face. 'No, you're not. I don't want you to think so lowly of yourself', he told her.

She smiled shyly, averting her eyes to put a hair-tie in her braid. 'Well thanks. I'm glad you hold me to higher standards', she thanked him.

He put a hand to her knee before getting up. 'You should eat. We'll arrive in about twenty minutes', he offered.

With that, he left her sitting on the couch, utterly confused. She pushed her bangs behind her ears, biting on her bottom lip. So dad had been right; Kaiba did like her.

She put her hand to her forehead; it made perfect sense now that she thought it over. The desire to have her work for him, the whole fake girlfriend thing, allowing her to give him a big mouth…it was all because he had feelings for her.

Her stomach fluttered. The great Seto Kaiba had feelings for _her_. But why? She admitted, she wasn't average looking (her hair always stood out) but she didn't get it. She bore resemblance to Yugi Mutou, his greatest rival.

She put her arms around herself. Why was she growing so timid at the thought? Yes, Kaiba was one of the most good-looking men she had ever encountered and he treated her with more respect than she expected him to. She got along with Mokuba really well too but…she was clueless as to what she had done to get him to like her.

She shrugged it off, reaching for the orange juice on the table. She thought it over. Did she feel the same way about him though?

The distant memory of his kiss popped up in her head and her cheeks grew alarmingly warm at the thought. That was as much of an answer as she needed for herself. If only she wasn't so uptight about wanting to control everything around her. Hell, she was still refusing to call Kaiba by his first name. She was awestruck that he was capable of such emotions.

The familiar ringtone of her cell-phone brought her back to reality. The caller ID read 'Mokuba Kaiba'.

She huffed, taking it. 'Hello?' she asked.

' _Hey Scarlette. Are you in Los Angeles yet?'_

She looked out of the window; white sand beaches and a sunrise greeted her.

'Almost. Why the sudden call? Did you burn the mansion down? I'm not telling your brother that if that's the case!' she declared with a slight laugh.

' _No, nothing like that. I was just curious…what do you think about my brother?'_

 _Real subtle._ She glanced at her watch. 'Is this really a seven AM topic, Mokuba?' she asked.

' _Well no but I was curious! So spill it!'_

She snorted. 'Hell no. You'll just call your brother to tell him what I said', she muttered.

There was a moment of silence. _'Just-just look at him with an open mind, okay? He's not as bad as people say he is.'_

She sat back. 'I don't think I would've gotten this far if I didn't know that', she answered.

' _Look, Seto made me promise not to tell you about how he became this way so…I'm guessing he'll want you to pull it out of him.'_

Her mind flashed back to how Kaiba had reacted when she had accidently made a comment about how awful his childhood had been. He had brushed her off with a short-tempered reply.

'I doubt that', she sighed; 'look I have to hang. I'll call you', she wanted to end the call.

' _Just remember to tell Seto he needs to wear the Armani suit on you guys' private dinner.'_

She growled; 'What am I? his babysitter?'

' _Trust me, Armani looks good on him, you'll like it.'_ She ignored the obvious smirk Mokuba was clearly wearing and rolled her eyes.

'Okay. I'll tell him', she hung up the phone and watched Kaiba exit the cockpit. She took another gulp of her drink; 'Mokuba called. He told me to tell you to wear the Armani suit on our private dinner', she set her empty glass down with a shrug.

'Did he now?' he took a seat opposite her, an amused smirk on his lips; 'why would he do that?' he wondered.

'Beats me. Something about you looking good in it, I don't know', she stuck a piece of bread in her mouth; 'it might be a good break from the trenchcoats though, especially with this summer weather', she went on.

He poured himself a cup of coffee, smirking still. 'I didn't know you hated my coats so much. I never heard you complain', he commented.

'I never said I hated them! You look good in everything -' she stopped talking when she watched him cross his arms over his chest, his smirk growing. Only then did she realize he had tricked her into giving him a compliment.

She scoffed. 'I hate you', she grumbled.

'Sure you do', he stood up and walked over to her, then leaned down; 'just keep smiling when we land, _princess_. Remember…there might be fans on the airport', he reminded her.

She shot him a glare as he walked past her, but somehow him calling her princess led her to have one of those freaky flashbacks just like the one she had when she touched Yugi's hand. Only this time…it lasted much longer than the previous incident…

…

' _Princess!'_

 _She turned around, standing upright from sitting by the pond. The tall, dark and handsome man came over her. His features were familiar as was his voice but she couldn't see his face._

' _Yes?' she questioned._

' _Milady, your brother, the Pharaoh, has requested your presence.'_

 _She offered a sideways glance, keeping her attention on the pond. The tall man moved closer, wrapping his arms around her. His hold was gentle, warm and familiar._

' _My love, please, it's important', he asked her._

 _Her gaze grew sad. 'Will he make me marry the prince of Greece?' she asked._

' _No.' his grip hardened; 'I wouldn't let that happen, for you are my princess. And mine alone…'_

She jolted out of her flashback with a groan and sweat covering her forehead. What the hell had that been about?

Shakily, she got up, trailing behind Kaiba as they got off the plane. Already could she feel the warm, summer air hit her face and bare legs and it was incredibly welcomed. She could only pray not to have any more of those freaky vision or whatever they were…

…

 **So who was the mystery man in Scarlette's vision?! And we have Kaiba sort of admitting he likes her? I like writing this so much! It's so fun to see how Kaiba would react to liking someone and having to be patient with said person, since patience is NOT one of his strong points :3 I just hope to cook up something saucy for the following chapters ;)**

 **Anyway, please rate and review. It lets me know you guys care ^^**

 **Lots of Love,**

 **~TheOneWithTooManyInterests**


	10. Chapter 10

**I hate this chapter to be honest. There are small things I like about it but it's not my best work. Okay, PSA over, let's go!**

…

They had arrived at the hotel later that morning. They were staying in the California suite in the Four Seasons, a five star hotel in Beverly Hills. After unpacking, Scarlette opening the double doors to the balcony, feeling the warm summer breeze blow through her hair. They had a great view of the city and it was quite similar to Domino, caught between the sea and the hills.

She went back inside with a grin, finding Kaiba sat at the dining-table with his laptop. He didn't look up but seemed to notice her presence.

'So now what?' she asked.

He still didn't look up. 'You can go to bed and catch up on your sleep', he said.

She crossed her arms. 'What about you?' she asked.

He stopped; raising his blue eyes to meet her violet ones. 'What about me?'

'You need your sleep too', she shrugged.

He grinned. 'I didn't know you cared', he answered.

 _I hate you…_

'Yeah, well, like it or not, but you need your sleep as much as I do', she put her hands on her hips; 'how else are you going to pretend to be interested in your associate kissing your ass? Huh?'

He let out a laugh. 'How do you figure that?' he wondered.

She held up her shoulders. 'Well I'm guessing your associate has a much smaller company and wants to provide you with materials of your Duel Disk-system in exchange for an honorary mention', she paused; 'I could be completely wrong.'

'Well you're partly right. He won't get his name on the final product. But in return for his services I'll recommend his minerals to other companies', he gave her an unreadable look; 'so you weren't so far off as you thought', he almost seemed to smile.

A moment of silence fell. She didn't quite know how to react to his constant gaze, so she shyly dropped her eyes to the floor and took a step back to head towards the bed. She really wanted to have a few more hours of sleep -

Before she could take another step backwards, Kaiba was suddenly in front of her, catching her by her wrist. She still didn't look at him. After realizing he had some sort of feelings for her…she really wanted to avoid another entanglement with him until she had sorted herself out.

His long fingers curled around her chin, tilting her chin upwards. 'You know it drives me crazy when you do that', she received chills from his deep, low voice.

'Do what?' she softly asked.

He moved to cup her cheek and she put her hand on his wrist in response. He was being so uncharacteristically gentle, and she felt her heartbeat pick up like crazy, adding even more color to her already flushed face.

'When you look away from me like that…' his steady breathing warmed her ear; tickling the sensitive skin of her neck. She willed herself not to close her eyes, even though being close to him felt almost natural and familiar…

For a moment, she felt like he was going to kiss her. He was so damn close and she caught a whiff of his expensive cologne. It left her with a fuzzy feeling in her stomach. Just the way his fingers felt against her skin, his low breathing, those gorgeous blue eyes…

'K-Kaiba -' 'don't call me that', their gazes linked and for a moment she felt like she couldn't look away. He kept her helplessly trapped in his stare and part of her didn't want to look away. His eyes were such a gorgeous deep shade of blue, why hadn't she noticed before?

'Go to bed, Scarlette', he murmured; 'room-service will be here around three o'clock', he let go of her but she could still feel his hand tingling on her face.

She swallowed, a blush still evident on her face. She was determined to get Kaiba off to bed as well. He needed the rest and if he was grumpy, she'd be the first he'd take it out on.

'You're going to get your rest as well', she firmly told him.

He looked humored; clearly not impressed by her. She wouldn't let it faze her; he was going to get out of that ridiculous padded trenchcoat and he was going to bed.

'You're still my assistant; you don't tell me what to do', he grinned smugly.

She fought his grin with her own. 'You said we were past last name basis. So technically, that makes us even', she said.

He chuckled. 'Using my own words against me. Clever girl. Still…there's only one bed, so you're going to have to share.'

 _Well shit_ , she hadn't thought about that. 'I'll take the couch.'

He scoffed at her. 'Don't be childish', he moved past her, shrugging out of his purple coat and removing his shoes before shutting all the curtains.

She growled, accepting defeat. 'Fine. But I'm not sleeping in this pencil skirt', she moved towards the walk-in closet they shared, and inside, got changed into an oversized shirt and a pair of shorts.

She found Kaiba lounging on the bed by the time she got back, sitting up against the headboard with his laptop on his lap. For some reason the sight was almost endearing in a way. To see him just lying around, even though he was still busy, made him more human.

Ignoring his sudden gaze on her, she moved to the other side of the bed and lied down with her back turned to him. She shrank into herself. The whole situation was just so overwhelming.

Tears stung in her eyes. She remembered Mokuba's words. _Look at him with an open mind,_ he had said. If only things were that easy. Or maybe she was just making things difficult for herself?

Maybe she did like him. Maybe she always had liked him. And to the public eye they already seemed like a couple. So what was the harm in she _actually_ fell in love with him?

She let him pull the sheets over her body, but noticed how he kept his distance. A shameful part of her wanted him to get closer and put his arms around her. But she was still so at war with herself and she hated that.

She just gave an annoyed groan, before settling underneath the warm sheets.

…

When she woke up a couple of hours later, she was roused from her sleep by the warm breathing down her neck and the weight draped over her middle. It also took her a minute to fully realize where she was.

She shifted her gaze towards the arm laid across her waist. She swallowed thickly, then carefully turned around to find Kaiba on her side of the bed. He was still deeply asleep, which was a rather adorable sight in contrast to how she knew him. He laid with his head on his free arm, his brown hair unruly and covering his closed eyes. She found herself slowly inspecting every little detail of his appearance, from the slight stubble that coated his strong jaw-line, to the way his long-sleeved shirt stretched over his impressive muscles.

 _Shit, I'm looking at my boss like he's some sort of eye-candy!_ Not to say that he wasn't; Kaiba was a very handsome man. She fully understood how appealing he was to many women.

She exhaled deeply as she reached for him to slowly brush his hair out of his face. It was quite soft to the touch, she noticed.

She chewed on the inside of her cheek. Who would've thought that a man like Seto Kaiba could like a girl as common as her. She remembered from when they were in high school together, how she'd always watched him from a distance, surrounded by so many girls. She always thought he'd marry a famous model, have a couple of absurdly good-looking kids and leave all the girls that liked him with broken hearts.

Maybe part of her had liked him in high school. Maybe she had wanted to send him a love-note. That was, until she had seen what he did with the notes he got; he just threw them away without even looking at them. She had been so angry back then; to think he would belittle the feelings of all those girls…not even giving one a chance to come close to him. It infuriated her.

Lost in her memories, she didn't see that Kaiba had woken up and was now studying her thoughtful expression intently. She only snapped out of it when he grasped her hand in his.

She felt like a kid being caught with her hand in the cookie-jar, really. She felt busted, even though Kaiba had done the exact same thing to her before. She had no idea if he even liked the physical contact…

'D-did I wake you?' she asked.

He shrugged. 'I'm a light sleeper. But I guess there are worse ways to wake up', he grinned; 'and besides, I owed you one', he shrugged.

He let go of her hand and sat upright, throwing the sheets off himself. She remained on the bed for a few more moments, watching him go into the suite and pour himself a cup of coffee. Apparently, room-service had already been brought into the room.

She yawned before carefully shifting out of bed. She stretched her tense muscles, running her hands through her hair and moving towards the table where quite a lavish lunch was laid out. She felt a bit embarrassed; she didn't know there would be so much food to choose from.

'Do they always serve such large lunches or is it just because they know you're staying?' she asked.

He laughed softly. 'Both. It's not unusual for the staff to want me to stay here again', he explained.

She took a seat at the table, reaching for the grapes lying on a platter. 'Well I'm not complaining', he only smirked in response.

'It'll only be for a few days, so don't get too comfortable', she glared at him.

'Well you're the one who wanted me to come along', she countered.

'True', he sat his coffee down; 'I'm going to take shower. I advise you to do the same. My driver will be here around six', she gave a nod in response.

She guessed she had to hurry then. She liked taking her time to get ready. And she wanted to make a good first impression on his associate.

…

She had dressed herself in a deep purple, slim-fitted cocktail dress, with a low neckline. She tried to reach the back to do it up but she was unable to, much to her annoyance.

She got out of the bathroom, finding Kaiba already dressed in a dark blue suit and a white button-up. She was in awe for a moment; he looked amazing in a suit. She felt like such a lovestruck girl then. She had been completely oblivious to how handsome of a man Kaiba really was.

He gave her a quick glance. 'What is it?' he asked.

She averted her eyes. What was with her? Why was she getting so incredibly flustered in his presence?

'Can you zip me up?' she asked.

He offered a slight smile. 'Turn around', she did as he asked, holding her breath when his warming hands found her back, slowly zipping her up.

'I think I preferred you in blue', he pulled her hair back from her shoulders, allowing it to fall down her back in waves. She turned, a slight blush on her cheeks.

'You told me not to wear the blue dress', she held up her hands; 'boy you're hard to please…'

'Oh don't get me wrong, you still look beautiful', he walked past her; 'I just like the blue dress on you more', she threw her head back in annoyance.

'Come on. My driver should be outside by now', he urged her.

She followed him, taking his extended arm to allow him to lead her into the elevator and out of the hotel. There, his driver awaited them. And soon they, were on their way to the restaurant where they'd meet Kaiba's associate.

…

 **I declare this a horrible filler chapter xD I damn you, chapter 10! Damn you to the Shadow Realm!**

 **Anyway, please rate and review. It lets me know you guys care ^^**

 **Lots of Love,**

 **~TheOneWithTooManyInterests**


	11. Chapter 11

'I didn't know Kaiba dated cheap trash.'

After both men had left the table, Scarlette found herself being belittled by the so-called escort that Kaiba's associate, Mr. Jenkins had brought along.

She sipped her wine, not wanting to be bothered by her words, even though part of her felt ticked off. Why was everyone insulting her for dating Kaiba?

'Why don't you tell him yourself?' she asked.

The dark-haired woman scoffed. 'You may think you'll be the one to have his heart forever but as soon as he's done with you, he'll throw you aside', the woman's words sounded awfully bitter and that led her with only one conclusion.

She fought the grin that played on her pink lips. 'He broke your heart, didn't he?'

At that, the other woman's face fell immediately. She shot up, her face turning red with anger.

'I don't get it! You're not that special-looking!' she declared.

At her shouting, all the people in the restaurant turned their heads, including Jenkins and Kaiba, whom had just returned from their little conversation outside.

Scarlette remained calm, letting her chin rest onto the back of her hand.

'Maybe it's because I don't kiss his ass like everyone else', she stated.

'You little tramp! I'll -' 'Joanna, lower your hand now!' the other woman was cut off by Jenkins, whom looked far from pleased with his date's childish behavior.

Kaiba retook his seat beside Scarlette, huffing. 'You know, Joanna, I had hoped you wouldn't hold it against me', he put his hand on her thigh; 'you should take a seat and stop making such a scene of yourself', he told her off.

Joanna whimpered, sitting back down besides Jenkins with a shameful look on her face. The latter scoffed.

'Excuse her behavior, Mr. Kaiba. I'm sure she meant no disrespect towards your girlfriend', he apologized.

Scarlette watched Kaiba pull out a contract. 'It's fine. Now if you'll sign this contract, I will make sure your name will be well-known in Domino City when my DuelDisk-system is on the market', he stated.

Jenkins took the pen from him, chuckling as he signed it. 'There we go. Now are we up for dessert?' he asked.

Joanna shot up. 'I'm full. Excuse me.'

She ran off and Jenkins heaved a sigh, before turning his attention onto Scarlette. 'I apologize again, Miss', he eyed her more closely and grinned; 'well well, now you've done it Kaiba. I didn't know your little lover was related to the King of Games?!'

She felt Kaiba's hand on her thigh tighten. She carefully put her own hand atop of his to ease his rising temper. Everyone knew that bringing up Yugi Mutou around Kaiba was a bad idea.

'She's not', he cut off his associate; 'you'd be wise to drop the subject', he almost growled.

She gave Kaiba a worried look. She grasped his hand more firmly. 'Seto…' she called him by his first name then, and she felt him shiver in response.

'I apologize, Mr. Kaiba', Jenkins sighed; 'I meant no disrespect.'

She just breathed out annoyingly. Why couldn't Jenkins watch his damn mouth?

…

After dessert, Scarlette could feel herself bordering on being drunk by the large amount of wine she had ingested that evening. She had become rather giggly and boundaries, especially those between her and Kaiba…seemed to matter less and less to her.

She had nestled her head onto his broad shoulder as he carried her up the stairs, her arms wrapped around his neck.

'You're such a lightweight', he sighed in disapproval.

'I'm not. I'm perfectly sober!' she protested with a whine.

He looked down on her, shaking his head. She met his gaze, finding a very faint smile on his lips. She bit onto her bottom lip, tracing lines on his back and shoulders. 'Aren't you tempted?' she wondered.

He frowned, setting her down to swipe the card and open the door to their hotel-room, before picking her up again.

'Tempted to do what?' he asked.

She flushed. 'To kiss me', she muttered.

His mouth dropped and he was unable to find words, so he shut it again.

'You're intoxicated', he looked away from her. She frowned.

'But I thought you wanted me? I heard you on the phone with Mokuba…'

His eyes widened at her words but at the moment, she really didn't care. Her mind was muddled by all the alcohol and she didn't foresee the problems her words would cause the following morning.

He ignored her, bringing her into the bedroom. He attempted to simply lie her down but she pulled him with her, finding herself underneath him. He stared down on her, sighing.

'Let go of me, Scarlette', he asked quietly.

'Why? I thought you wanted this', she pouted.

She watched his grind his teeth together. 'Not when you're intoxicated like this', he replied.

'But -' 'no buts!' he cut her off sharply. She flinched in response, watching him crawl off her and seating himself beside her. He took off her shoes then stood up.

'I'm sleeping on the couch tonight', he stated.

She sat up, grabbing his wrist to stop him from walking away. He glared at her.

'Let go', he growled.

'But Seto -' 'we'll talk about this in the morning', he breathed in; 'now go to sleep.'

He left her in the bedroom by herself. She lowered her head, fighting her tears. Why was he being this way?

…

That following morning brought a lot of things. Sunshine, warm weather and for Scarlette in particular, a massive headache.

She groaned, putting a pillow on top of her head to snuff out the sunlight. She never wanted to drink so much wine again; it had made her say such embarrassing things -

Her eyes went open wide and she shot up, cursing loudly at the sharp pain in her head. As soon as it had subsided, she looked around the suite to find a trace of Kaiba. He wasn't there.

 _Good. After last night…I need to sort a lot of shit out…_

The sound of running water drew her attention. She blew out some air; it seemed he was in the shower. So she had some time to herself.

Carefully she got out of bed, finding her dress thrown onto the ground, and what appeared to be aspirin and a glass of water on the nightstand, along with a note.

' _Take these. We'll talk later. S.K.'_

She flushed, taking the aspirin to swallow with a gulp of water, shame ripping through her. She had acted despicable last night. Why had she blurted out she knew about the phone-call?!

She put her hands to her head. 'I'm such an idiot!' she exclaimed.

She then heard the water in the bathroom stop. She gulped, her face rapidly growing red.

 _Well I'm fucked! Might as well hand in my resignation now after last night's fiasco!_

She tiptoed out of the bedroom, headed for the knocking that was heard on the door of their suite. She opened it, and a young boy with a food trolley walked in.

'Your breakfast, Miss. As requested', he smiled.

'Just leave it', she rubbed at her throbbing forehead.

He gave a nod and left. She pushed the trolley into the room, busying herself with putting all the food on the table. All the while, her nerves got the better of her. She didn't want to have this conversation!

Her back tensed terribly at the sudden nearing footsteps. She dared to look up; Kaiba stood there, scrubbing his hair with a towel while he wore a lazily buttoned up dress-shirt and dress-pants.

'How did you sleep?' he asked.

 _Why the hell are you being casual?!_

'About last night -' 'I asked about how your sleep was?' he cut her off.

She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth. 'Fine I guess. A massive headache but other than that I'm fine', she answered.

'The aspirin should take care of that. And we don't have to be anywhere today so feel free to lounge around the pool ', he shrugged.

She swallowed. He took a seat at the dining-table, leaving her nervously fiddling with the hem of her shirt. He gave her a sideways glance.

'Don't worry about last night. You were intoxicated; I'm not holding it against you.'

She shifted on her bare feet. Was that all he had to say?

'But -' 'I don't know what else you want me to say', he cut her off; 'yes, I like you but it's clear you don't feel the same way about me', he blatantly stated.

She felt a small pang of pain in her chest at his words. That wasn't true. And how dared he to make assumptions about her feelings just because she wasn't being obvious about it?

'That's not true', he gave her an indifferent look, clearly not believing her; 'you can't just assume I don't like you because I don't act on my feelings!'

Her cheeks grew warm; was she really talking about this with him?

'Maybe you should consider the fact that I'm not as confident as you are and that it takes a lot for me to come out of my shell! Yes, I'm shy and I overthink things way too much but that doesn't mean I don't care about you!'

Her face felt flushed, tears stung in her eyes and she felt ridiculously vulnerable but she had to get it out of her system. And judging by the look on Kaiba's face…she had stunned him into silence for a change.

A stray tear slipped from her eye. She wiped it aggressively.

'I-I _do_ like you. Maybe even more than that', she put her arms around herself; 'I mean, give me a break, up until a few months ago I didn't know you were capable of any positive emotions', she muttered.

More tears began to run down her cheeks. She bit on the inside of her cheek roughly, not wanting to cry in front of him. 'You're such an ass…' she scoffed.

She went back into the bedroom, not wanting to wait for his response. She got herself dressed in a tankini, light pink sundress and sunglasses. She threw a bottle of sun-lotion into her bag with a growl.

She left him in the hotel-room without another word. After her outburst…she didn't want to see or talk to him for a while. She was going to take his advice and lounge around the pool. Maybe that would help her clear her head.

…

Staying by the pool had turned out to be a good idea. The sun was shining brightly and it warmth felt wonderful to Scarlette's skin. It slowly seemed to shine her troubles away. That was, until she heard multiple women giggle and exclaim at the entrance to the outdoor pool.

'He's so handsome!'

'He's coming over here!'

'I didn't even know Seto Kaiba was staying here!'

She scoffed, shoving her sunglasses further up her nose. _Just great, he's coming over here_ …

And that, he did. From the corner of her eye, she could see him push past the horde of women, looking awfully dressed up in his blouse and dress-pants. He aimed straight towards her and she could do nothing but bury her nose into the book she was reading.

When he took a seat on her pool-chair, she took off her sunglasses, giving him a foul look. 'What do you want? I'm not in the mood -' he didn't allow her to finish her sentence; he just kissed her, harshly. She was tempted to simply shove him off, but let him part her lips with his persistent tongue as soon as his grip on her softened and became more gentle.

The women around them squealed and giggled. She tried not to pay attention to it, whimpering as he parted from her. He brushed his thumb over her chin, his expression unreadable.

'I-I don't -' 'you never shut up, do you?' she glared at him; 'you're right, okay? I was being an ass', he muttered.

He shifted closer, keeping his eyes on hers. 'I want you to be mine', he almost whispered.

She put her hands to his chest. 'Aren't I, already?' she mumbled.

'No. The press may believe that's the case but I don't want this to be circus-show anymore', he ground his teeth together; 'I want you to be with me, because you want to. Not because you signed a contract', he whispered.

She smiled timidly. She hadn't expected him to be so forward all of a sudden. But she didn't, _couldn't_ complain. He was making an active attempt to have her in his life, which was really appreciated.

She put a hand to the side of his face and leaned upward to softly kiss his cheek. 'I'll give you my answer after tonight's dinner, okay?'

He seemed less than pleased, but agreed anyway. 'Fine', he grumbled.

She just breathed a soft sigh. Maybe after tonight…things wouldn't be so difficult anymore…

…

 **And MOAR filler! Gah! I hate writing filler xD but soon, we will arrive in Battle City, I promise!**

 **Anyway, please rate and review. It lets me know you guys care ^^**

 **Lots of Love,**

 **~TheOneWithTooManyInterests**


	12. Chapter 12

The Kaiba brothers shared everything, Scarlette realized that very quickly. Not much later after she had admitted to Seto (yes, she had started using his first name) she liked him too, Mokuba had called, ecstatic about his brother finally finding a girl worth his time.

' _So tell me! Did you guys kiss again?! Did Seto ask you to be his official girlfriend?! Can I call you big sister from now on?!'_

Scarlette groaned in annoyance, hopping onto one leg to get her shoes on. She then tried to reach for the zipper of her dress but felt two hands on her waist, steadying her. She turned her head, her face heating up at seeing Seto behind her, doing up the light blue dress he wanted her to wear. He then kissed her shoulder, making her giggle. Her heart fluttered at the gesture.

It felt as if the air had been cleared between them; no longer did she feel that awkward, tense atmosphere that had been there before. She felt so grateful for that. She now looked forward to tonight's dinner.

' _Hold up! You guys aren't doing anything weird right now, right?!'_

Before she could answer, he had taken the phone from her. 'Give her a break, Mokuba. You'll find out when we get back, okay? Don't give me that!' he rested his chin atop her head; 'yeah, yeah I know; the Armani suit, I get it', she grinned at his annoyed tone.

He hung up the phone, handing it back to her. She turned in his arms, pouting. 'You shouldn't tell him everything. That's why he called', she pushed against his chest.

'Oh I won't tell him everything', he easily swept her off her feet, making her gasp loudly and throw her arms around his neck. She glared at him; 'you big jerk', she muttered.

He just smirked at her. She blew out a huff of air. 'This is inappropriate on so many levels', she muttered.

He nuzzled his nose into her hair. 'You don't seem to mind though', he responded.

She studied him, a smile slowly creeping up on her features. 'I don't', he gently let her down onto the bed; 'I'll get ready then', he smiled.

She watched him retreat into the bathroom, her stomach fluttering. She was really curious to what he looked like in that Armani suit now…

…

Mokuba had been right about one thing; Seto _did_ look great in Armani. And somehow, when they arrived at the restaurant, the press was swarming to get a good picture of them. She clung to his arm, ignoring the flashes of light and the people yelling at them.

By the time they were inside and had sat down at their table, she felt dizzy. 'I'm going to be seeing sparks for weeks', she grumbled.

'You'll get used to it', he answered.

She watched him shift in his seat and drum his fingers impatiently on the table; he was nervous about what she was going to say.

She grinned to herself. Who would've thought that a guy like him could become nervous because of a girl?

She took his warm hand from across the table, and offered him a soft smile, as if to tell him not to worry. She wasn't going to turn him down. She wanted to be with him, despite how much it terrified her. But she would be willing to push that aside and take that leap into the dark with him.

He studied her, his facial expression blank but his blue eyes glowing with an emotion she couldn't place. He was impatient, she could see that. He wanted to know her answer, _now_.

'You should know by now that I'm not turning you down, Seto', she told him softly.

He interlocked their fingers, remaining silent to let her continue. She shuddered, her heart hammering hard in her chest. She averted her eyes from him; she was struggling with having to explain her feelings to him.

'I want this to work out', she began; 'but I'm terrified…' she confessed.

He sighed. 'I'm not an easy person to be around, as you know. And I don't want you to stop working for me just because we engage in a relationship', he explained, releasing her hand to touch the side of her flushed face; 'allow me to try and I'll make sure I won't disappoint you', he asked.

She leaned into his hand, tears stinging her violet eyes. 'Okay', she answered.

…

That Friday morning, Scarlette woke up slightly dazed, like she had been stuck in a dream for a very long time. She looked around her, finding she was in a luxurious hotel-room. She then smiled; it had all been real after all. Last night…Seto had asked her to be his official girlfriend. It had been a slightly clumsy attempt but she had appreciated it. He struggled with these newfound emotions and she wouldn't make fun of him for it. If she had come to know one thing about him, it was that he valued his pride.

She shifted and she felt Seto tighten his hold on her as he murmured in his sleep. His even breathing ghosted over her shoulder and his warm body was comforting to lie against.

She hadn't picked him for a cuddly person. He had replied that he wasn't and that he preferred to keep things that mattered to him close, even in his sleep. Thought he couldn't fool her in the slightest; this was cuddling and he couldn't tell her otherwise.

He stirred against her for a few moments, and then kissed her hair.

'Good morning', he murmured.

She turned around, folding her arms around his neck. 'Morning', she sighed.

He touched her cheek, his blue eyes gentle. She turned her head, kissing his palm. She hated the fact that they were going to leave Los Angeles tonight. These few days with him had been eye-opening. She didn't want that to change.

'Do we have to go back to Domino tonight?' she asked.

He smirked. 'I told you not to get used to this', he pressed his lips to her forehead; 'but there will be other business-trips in the future', he promised.

He then pressed her down onto her back, leaning over her and propping himself up by putting his arm down beside her head. She kept her arms around his neck and played with his messy locks of brown hair. She was sure her cheeks had turned a shade of red but she couldn't help herself.

'I love it when you blush like that', his quiet whisper only led her face to grow warmer and he grinned in response.

He placed his lips to her cheek. She smiled into him. She hadn't expected him to be an affectionate person. Even though he seemed so rough and abrasive, deep down, he had a softer side. And she felt honored he was showing her that side of him.

'You're quiet all of a sudden', he commented, nuzzling her temple.

She giggled. 'Just lost in my thoughts', she answered.

'About what?' he wondered.

His deep voice caused her to shiver. She smiled, kissing the side of his neck. She felt him tense against her, leading her to believe she had found his soft spot.

'About the fact I'm dating my boss', she closed her eyes for a moment; 'you're not nearly as bad as you make yourself out to be, you know', she whispered.

He got up, seating himself at the foot of the bed. It left her frowning; had she said something wrong? Why had he pulled away so suddenly? Was he afraid she was going to bring up his past?

She shifted, crawling over to him to embrace him from behind.

'Don't worry', she nestled her head onto his broad shoulder; 'I'm not expecting you to just open up about everything, Seto. You shouldn't have to', his tense shoulders dropped slightly at her words; 'and I don't want you to. We should take it slowly', she murmured.

He put his hand atop of hers. 'Thank you', he turned his head, giving her a tired look. She offered another smile, before softly pressing her lips to his. He let out a soft hum, turning around in her grasp to ease her down on her back.

Her cheeks felt rosy as he parted her lips with his tongue, one of his hands cradling the back of her head. She closed her eyes and tightened her arms around his neck. While their first kiss had been sudden and mostly lust-driven…this felt _real_ ; it felt slow, deep and intimate.

As their tongues intertwined, she drew her nails over his back. He gasped in response, breaking their kiss. She grinned at him.

'Someone's sensitive', she whispered.

He lowered his head to her neck, nipping at her pale skin. 'Don't challenge me', her mouth dropped as he drew his hot tongue over the side of her neck and she gasped; 'because I think we both know who'll end up winning', he growled.

'Do you always have to be the best at everything?' she huffed.

'Yes', he propped himself up; 'so don't try to fight me on this', he whispered.

She raised her eyebrow at him in defiance. What made him think she was going to be submissive in any way? She hadn't taken any of his shit while being his assistant, that wouldn't chance now that she was his girlfriend.

'Or what?' she wondered.

He took her by her wrists, suddenly pinning her down underneath him. She gaped at him with a tremble. She didn't like it, but part of her enjoyed suddenly feeling helpless. And it seemed that he enjoyed being the one in control. _He's such a kinky bastard,_ she internally scoffed.

Another smirk painted his lips. 'Cat caught your tongue?' he asked.

'You wish', she stubbornly replied.

He leaned down, his eyes challenging hers. He chuckled, loosening his grip on her wrists. She then reached up to touch his strong jaw-line.

'You should know by know I don't just obey quietly', she told him.

He snickered, allowing her to run her hands through his hair. He then kissed her, once again, on the forehead.

'I know, I know. It infuriated me', he licked his lips; 'but I wouldn't have bothered if you weren't like that', he admitted.

Her heart skipped at his words. So that was the reason he liked her? Because she was different? She began to smirk. 'You like it when a woman challenges you', she stated.

'Perhaps I do. But I think you're the one who likes to challenge _me_ ', he deeply responded.

'Hey, maybe I did that to every guy I've dated in the past, you'll never know', she taunted him.

He narrowed his blue eyes at her, jealousy flashing across them.

'I hope for your sake that you didn't', he growled.

She carefully pressed him down onto the bed, lying down on her side while hovering over him.

'I'm just kidding. Like you said, I'm a very picky woman. I haven't dated much in the past', she tried to assure him.

One of his hands found her back, drawing soft strokes on her skin through the thin fabric of her shirt. She shivered; still in awe of how his hands were capable of such softness.

'Good', he muttered.

She bent down to place a chaste kiss to his lips; 'I'll go take a shower', she smiled at him.

She hopped off the bed, leaving him in the bedroom. All the while, she couldn't stop herself from smiling. A new stage in her life had arrived. And it both excited and terrified her. But she was confident things would work out. They just had to.

…

 **Short chapter this time, I'm sorry!**

 **Anyway, please rate and review. It lets me know you guys care ^^**

 **Lots of Love,**

 **~TheOneWithTooManyInterests**


	13. Chapter 13

After getting back to Domino, work changed quite a bit. Scarlette had thought she and Seto would have to uphold charades at work but to her shock, he didn't seem to care whether people knew they were dating. It had unsettled her at first; she didn't like people whispering about her yet Seto had told her she shouldn't be bothered by it, despite her reservations.

Though that fact didn't stop him from leaving gifts on her desk multiple times a week. One morning she had walked into his office and found a bouquet of red roses on her desk. He had only smirked at her puzzled expression.

Another day, she had found a flat box. When she had opened it, she was startled by the silver necklace, adorned with blue gems staring back at her.

She had carefully picked it up, completely floored. She understood that money wasn't a problem for him but it still shocked her how much effort he made into showering her with gifts.

He had come up behind her, taking the necklace from her hands to secure it around her neck. He had lowly whispered into her ear he liked to see her wear her just that and nothing else, leaving her completely flustered for the rest of the day.

She was about to pick up her bag that Thursday evening when he called her name. She frowned at him.

'Something wrong? Did I forget to fill out some paperwork?' she asked.

He shook his head at her, his eyes glimmering. 'Come here', he beckoned her to come over.

She did as he asked and leaned against his desk. He took hold of both of her hands and easily pulled her into his lap, a grin spreading across his face at her startled shriek. She soon grew into his embrace, letting her hands run up and down his shoulders and neck.

'Rough day, huh?' she asked quietly.

He pushed her even more to him and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. He rested his forehead to her shoulder with a sigh. She let him; this was one of those rare times when he'd show her just how tired he really was. All the pressure of handling this company…

'You really should take days of, Seto', she murmured.

He responded with a slight scoff. 'I don't take days off, Scarlette', he answered.

She didn't respond right away; he really didn't. Him taking a day off was rare. If he didn't work around the office, he'd be at home, still working. At least, that's what Mokuba told her.

He gave her an unreadable look. 'I want you to stay with me tonight', he whispered.

She tilted her head to the side with a frown. 'Like 'stay for dinner'?' she wondered.

He shook his head. 'I want you to stay the night with me', he stated.

She smiled shyly. Well that really wasn't much of an issue; during the business-trip, they had stayed in the same bed too. Still, dad being dad would throw a major fit over it, even though she was twenty-years old and old enough to make decisions for herself. It wasn't like they were going to have sex or anything…

He nuzzled her collarbones, inhaling deeply. 'Well?' he asked.

'I want to', she paused to suck her bottom lip into her mouth; 'but I'm having dinner with Yugi and the gang tonight so I'll be a tad bit later', she admitted.

He let out a displeased huff of air. She could only chuckle; it was quite obvious Seto despised Yugi and his friends, Joey in particular. And that wasn't just because Joey had been flirting with her, according to Seto thatwas.

She ran her hands through his dark hair with a sigh. If there was one thing she had quickly come to know about him, was the fact he was protective and possessive. Not in a creepy way in any means, but he liked people to know that she was his and he was hers.

On her days off, he'd call her throughout the day, just to make sure she was doing okay. And she was fine with that. Mokuba had told her that Seto did the same to him; that he liked to know if either of them was safe.

'I'll be fine, okay?' she looked him into his eyes; 'you know I don't look at other men', she shifted in his lap, a shy smile on her lips; 'they couldn't even compare to you', she admitted.

He offered a smug smirk, to her amusement. He really liked it when people stroked his ego and while she wasn't one of the people to blindly do so…she wanted him to know he was the only one for her. She didn't want anybody else.

'Good.'

One hand grasped her face, whilst the other moved to her hip, hoisting her up onto his desk. He pushed himself between her legs, her skirt riding up in the progress. His lips then met hers in a fiery, needy kiss.

She would moan at his tongue tracing over the curve of her lips, allowing him to deepen his assault. His kiss was deep, slow and loving but she could feel the passion lurking underneath it all. She grew all warm and fuzzy from his touch. Every time they kissed…it felt so new and left her with butterflies in her stomach as if they were kissing for the first time.

He parted from her, his lips skimming her jaw-line and neck, all while his hand on her face slowly went downwards. She put her hands around his neck, tightening her nails in his dark brown hair as his hand began to fondle her breast. Her mouth dropped slightly; the sensations of both his hot mouth relentlessly kissing, nipping and sucking on her neck and his fingers teasing the sensitive skin of her breast through the fabric of her shirt nearly causing her eyes to roll into the back of her head.

He ground himself into her pelvis, making her gasp. She closed her eyes tightly; his touch felt so incredibly good and she didn't want him to stop, not matter how wrong it seemed for them to do this in his office…

'Hey Seto are you ready to – oh wow I guess not!'

She froze and she felt his body go rigid against her at Mokuba's voice booming into the office. She turned her head, finding the younger Kaiba with a shit-eating grin in the door-opening.

'Sorry to interrupt, I can come back later', he laughed.

She shot him a glare, her cheeks flushed hot red. The latter's grin only widened.

'You look flustered, Scarlette', he pointed towards his neck; 'also, you've got a little something…'

Her hand shot over her exposed neck and she quickly hopped off the desk. Seto in front of her took a seat, crossing one leg over the other and clearing his throat.

'What is it, Mokuba?' he asked.

'Well I was going to ask if you could come down to see the prototype for your DuelDisk first thing tomorrow but you seem to be preoccupied', Mokuba grinned; 'be glad I walked in and not one of your employees', he shrugged.

Scarlette brushed her skirt back into place, only to feel Seto's hand creep up the back of her thigh. She shot him a glare; he was about to feel her up even more after they'd just been caught?!

'You-you won't tell them, will you?' she asked.

It was then Mokuba let out a very loud laugh. 'Oh no…I'm going to keep this to myself. Who would've thought that my big brother could be caught making out in his office? It's hilarious!'

She growled at him. 'Oh shut up!' she snarled at him.

He stuck his tongue out. 'I'll see you in the garage in twenty minutes, Seto', he waved both of them off, all while his laughter echoed down the hall.

She wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but gasped feeling Seto's hand tug at the suspender belt holding up her black stockings. He looked at her with a smirk.

'I didn't know you wore stockings', he teased.

She slapped his hand away, visibly flustered and breathing heavily. He stood up, entrapping her in his arms and nuzzling her temple. She took in a deep breath, feeling the evidence of his arousal slowly rub against her through their clothing.

'Don't you dare to take them off', He leaned down; 'if you do…I'll have to punish you', he whispered.

She trembled in response to his husky voice, biting her bottom lip to hold in her moan. She hated him for getting under her skin so easily. She couldn't stand herself for it but she couldn't help it. He was simply so attractive and sexy…

'Oh and for the record', he clicked his tongue; 'I think I just disproved your statement about you not enjoying me putting my hands on you.'

Her mind flashed back to when she had said that and she gave him a vile glare. He was such an ass!

'Shut up', she growled at him.

He pressed his lips to her forehead. 'I know you hate it when I'm right', their gazes linked; 'run along now. Let me know when you're done and I'll have my driver pick you up', he whispered.

She gave a soft nod, taking him by his collar to kiss him fully on the mouth. 'Will do. I'll see you tonight', she sighed.

…

They had gathered at a local burger restaurant that evening. Scarlette watched Joey and Tristan bicker back and forth and absently listened to the conversation Yugi and Téa were having. She was deeply immersed in her thoughts. She kept replaying what had happened in Seto's office over and over and over again. His taste, his firm hands…

'Are you in there, Scarlette?'

She blinked a few times, finding Joey snapping his fingers in front of her face with a mouthful of hamburger.

'Yeah I am. Just tired from work, I guess', she lied with a slight laugh.

'Boy, Kaiba really works you to the bone doesn't he?' Tristan scoffed.

 _Well he worked me, alright, just not in the regular sense…_

She shook that thought off her. 'Well I am his assistant. It's only natural', she shrugged.

Téa smiled. 'You two looked good in the newspapers together though', she began.

She snickered, sipping her coke through her straw. After their business trip, more photographs had surfaced. She had kind of gotten used to it by now. It really didn't bother her anymore. Seto had said that the main commotion had died down by now. She just had to watch her back in public.

She turned her thoughts onto what Téa had texted her a while back. Without context, she had received a picture of Joey in a dog-suit. It had left her rolling on the floor laughing. What kind of bet had he lost to let himself get dressed in a dog costume?

'Joey, what was the deal with the dog costume -' 'What?! Téa, you told her?!' Joey cut her off immediately.

The latter burst out laughing. 'I-I'm sorry Joey but she had to see it!' she protested.

'Some friend you are! Yugi stop laughin' at me, will ya'?!' Joey went on with ranting.

Scarlette watched her friends with a grin. She had missed them. Due to her job, she didn't see them as much but she was grateful they tried to understand. Even though they disagreed on some fronts (Yugi's puzzle and the supposed spirit that lives inside of it) they still got along famously. And she was glad she had friends like them.

…

 **So apparently Joey lost to Duke when Scarlette and Kaiba were in Los Angeles? The plot thickens. And yeah, the next chapter might get steamy. I'm not making promises ;)**

 **Anyway, please rate and review. It lets me know you guys care ^^**

 **Lots of Love,**

 **~TheOneWithTooManyInterests**


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